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. His trial continued yesterday.

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

Edwards was questioned about the allegations and stated that he has never had any sort of sexual interaction with the complainant.

Mr Jones went on to sum up the evidence of the prosecution case outlining that in the first alleged rape, the complaint said she said “no” but the defendant carried on, and afterwards he told her not to tell anyone

Mr Jones said that a family friend said the complainant told her what happened, but she didn't take it any further.

The prosecution allege that as she kept quiet, the defendant used this knowledge to carry out further rapes on the complainant.

The complainant also alleges that he sent her text messages afterwards saying he enjoyed himself. But Edwards told the police he never had a mobile phone.

But when being questioned on the matter, Mr Edwards said: “It may have been an exaggeration”.

The defence say that there are inconsistencies in the complainant's evidence, and that the time frame she claims one of the rapes took place could not have.

The defence say that the defendant does not now have the opportunity to say where he was during each of the alleged incidents and the delay causes "prejudice" towards the defendant as memories fade.

Judge D Wynn Morgan, in summing up the case yesterday, reminded the jury that the first alleged offence took place in 2007 and the complainant reported it to the police in May 2013.

During that first alleged rape, the complainant said that Edwards told her it would not hurt and it would not take long, and she told him no but he carried on.

During the trial, the court heard how the defendant allegedly carried out separate rapes on various occasions, and the defendant was arrested in September 2013.

Proceeding.