JURORS in the trial of a Newport man accused of four sexual offences including rape have been sent out to consider their verdicts.
Graham Greatley, aged 27, of Oliphant Circle, Newport, is on trial at Cardiff Crown Court charged with one count of rape, two counts of sexual assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault.
All four offences are alleged to have taken place on June 11 last year against a 19-year-old woman.
Coach driver Greatley, who is originally from Sutton, claims he had her consent and it was the complainant who made the first move.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The incident is alleged to have happened in the sitting room of a house in Newport at around 11.30pm.
Greatley said he had been alone with the complainant by about 11pm.
At that stage, he was playing his Xbox and she was on the computer, around seven feet away from him.
Greatley claimed in court that they had both been drinking – alleging the complainant had drunk two bottles of Lambrini wine while he had "a few cans".
He said she sat down beside him on the couch and instigated sexual intercourse, claiming he had her consent.
Under cross-examination from prosecutor Caroline Rees today, Greatley claimed he and the alleged victim only spoke around 20 words to each other all night, up until she left the house after they had had sex.
He said he was not attracted to her and there had been no flirting prior to her making the first advancement.
Greatley, who had a pregnant girlfriend at the time of the incident, told jurors the woman was "very happy and calm" as she left the house, and was not "distressed" as the prosecution claimed.
Ms Rees then said: "You raped her didn't you?" Greatley answered: "No. I would never do anything like that in my life."
Robin Shellard, defending, said Greatley was an "essentially shy man who is accused of rape". He added: "He is a good, good man, hard-working, with good parents."
Mr Shellard finished his summing up by directing the jury to reach a not guilty verdict on all counts.
The trial has also heard a written witness statement from a friend of the complainant, who also attended the party but left before 11pm.
She said her friend was an outgoing and friendly person who hardly drank any more than two glasses of wine.
She claimed her friend had just two glasses of Lambrini that night and that she regretted not leaving with her.
The jury of eight women and four men were sent out by Judge David Wynn Morgan today and will continue their deliberations tomorrow.
Proceeding.
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