A JEHOVAH’S Witness accused of rape and sexual assault has told a jury that the sex with the alleged victim was consensual and the assault never happened.

Jay Thomas Norwell, 30, of Black Lane, Cuerdley, has pleaded guilty to one offence of sexual activity with a child under 16 but denied rape and sexual assault charges at a trial taking place in Liverpool this week.

The joiner and carpenter is accused of raping a 15-year-old girl and sexually assaulting another victim.

The first alleged rape offence is said to have taken place at a fancy dress party in the 2000s when the victim was 15-years-old and the defendant was 19.

The jury at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday heard the victim describe being pushed on to a bed by Norwell and asking him to stop.

However, in the witness stand today, Thursday, Norwell said: “That never happened, I would never do that.”

The victim said that after the incident Norwell was distressed and she ended up calming him down.

She said: “I felt it was my fault because I had upset him, so I was trying to comfort him and apologising.”

The second alleged rape offence is said to have taken place at the defendant’s house when the victim had a dislocated shoulder due to a medical condition.

The victim said: “I didn’t try and stop him because I didn’t think it would make a difference. He would just do it anyway or get more angry.

“I felt sore and sick and sad.”

But Norwell said the sex was consensual and that he had experienced a dislocated joint before and knew the pain was excruciating.

He said: “If she had cried out I would have stopped straight away.”

However, Norwell said he felt bad for having consensual sex due to his strong religious beliefs.

He said: “I was feeling guilt because I was brought up to follow the Bible as closely as possible and I knew that sex before marriage was wrong, and it was playing heavily on my mind.”

Nowell also denies one count of sexual assault by penetration involving the same victim and another count of sexual assault involving a different victim.

The trial continues.