Man raped woman next to court building, jury told

A man raped a woman next to the court building where his trial is taking place, a jury has heard.

Mubarak Ibrehim is on trial at Portsmouth Crown Court accused of the alleged rape in June last year.

Ed Hand, prosecuting, told the jury that the the defendant and complainant were captured on CCTV before walking "out of shot for about five minutes in the vehicle bay of this building".

Ibrehim, 25, is also accused of voyeurism by filming the incident on his mobile phone. He denies the offences.

The jury members are to be taken to the scene of the incident in a site visit, the court heard.

Judge Daniel Sawyer said: "Ordinarily I would tell you not to go to the location but in this case it's just out the back of the building and it would be utterly pointless.

"You can see most of it from your jury retiring room."

Ibrehim is Sudanese and living at the Royal Beach Hotel in Southsea, Hampshire. He is being assisted during the trial by an Egyptian Arabic interpreter.

Hand said the complainant left the Astoria nightclub in Portsmouth city centre with a friend at about 03:00 BST on 11 June.

The friend went into an alleyway to buy some drugs from a man while the complainant sat on a kerb waiting for her because she "did not want to be involved", Hand said.

The defendant, initially accompanied by another man, stopped to talk to the complainant before the other man walked away.

Hand said: "He sat down next to her, he can be seen to kiss her and put his arm around her and after a short while they walk off [CCTV] camera and disappear out of shot for about five minutes in the vehicle bay of this building.

"The pair then reappear and walk off together before the defendant walks off in the opposite direction."

Hand said the complainant was "extremely upset" and that police were alerted and attended the scene.

In a police interview she said the defendant "became more forceful, pulled down her trousers and raped her" in the vehicle bay.

Hand said: "She told police she was terrified and she froze."

He said she was unaware that Ibrehim had filmed the incident on his phone and when she was informed, "it made her feel physically sick".

Hand said the defendant sent her a WhatsApp message the following day saying: "I really enjoyed meeting you at the party last night, do you remember me?"

The court heard that she replied: "You're the one who hurt me, do you understand how drunk I was, taking advantage of me the way you did."

She sent another message saying: "I know it's you, you were him", and he stopped replying.

Hand said after Ibrehim was arrested he told police what took place was consensual.

He added: "He admitted using his phone to film some of the incident because he wanted to show she had consented."

The prosecutor also said the complainant stopped the incident because he was "afraid of being seen".

The trial continues.

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