Shane Baldwin, 31, is accused of raping a woman he invited to stay in his spare room after a night out in 2017 (Picture: PA/Jim Bennett)

A man accused of raping a sleeping woman in his home told police he had tripped over her bed and fallen on top of her while naked, a court heard.

Shane Baldwin, 31, was arrested on suspicion of raping a woman he invited to stay in his spare room in Rochester, Kent, in May 2017.

The alleged victim had been out drinking with friends in the nearby town of Chatham when she became ill.

Baldwin said she could stay at his home for the night but after going to bed, she claims she woke in the early hours to find him ‘leaning’ over her while naked.




She immediately left the house and told police she had been raped.

Baldwin, who denies the allegation, told officers he had fallen on top of her as he made his way back to his bed after using the toilet.

Baldwin denies one charge of rape (Picture: Jim Bennett)

He also claimed his DNA that was found on the woman may have come from shorts he had given her to wear in bed, Maidstone Crown Court was told.

The accused later told officers he and his alleged victim had had consensual sex.

At the start of his trial on Tuesday, prosecutor Abigail Husbands said the woman and her friends were drunk during the night out.

Having been sick, the alleged victim had gone to stay at Baldwin’s home and was given his clothes to wear to bed in the spare room.

Miss Husbands told the court: ‘Just past 5am she woke with someone leaning over her.

‘It took her some time to realise where she was. She realised it was Baldwin.’

The court heard that the woman left Baldwin’s house and took a taxi to a friend’s house where she called police.

When he was arrested, Baldwin told officers that after using the toilet in the middle of the night, he headed through the spare room on his way back to bed.

Baldwin claims he had consensual sex with the woman, telling police it was initiated by her (Picture: Jim Bennett)

Jurors were told: ‘He said he tripped over the edge of the bed and fell on the victim and apologised.

‘He denied raping her.’

When interviewed for a second time, Baldwin was confronted with the DNA evidence but maintained he had not had sex with the woman.

Instead he told officers his DNA may have been transferred because he had previously worn the shorts she had been given to wear in bed, the court heard.

When he was told it was not scientifically possible for his DNA to have been transferred in that way, Baldwin told police he had had consensual sex with the woman.

He claims his alleged victim initiated the sex.

The trial continues.

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