A VALLEYS man who allegedly raped a girl several times over the course of several years appeared in court yesterday.

Hywel Edwards, aged 23, of Blaencuffin Road in Llanhilleth, denies five counts of rape and one further count of sexual assault.

Merthyr Crown Court heard yesterday that some of the alleged offences took place when the complainant was a young teenager.

Opening the case, prosecutor Nicholas Gareth Jones said the first alleged offence took place in 2007.

He said: "Because of his size he was able to hold her down. The defendant is much bigger and much more powerfully built than she."

Edwards then raped her for a few minutes, Mr Jones added, before warning her not to tell anybody about what had just happened.

The court then heard how the defendant carried out separate rapes on various occasions.

Mr Jones said the defendant was arrested in September 2013.

"He denied it and he clearly still denies it," the prosecuting barrister added.

A police interview with the complainant was then shown to the jury, in which she said she felt "physically sick" and was "nervous around everybody" following the alleged assaults.

Proceeding