A UNIVERSITY sports officer has denied raping an unconscious student at a pre graduation party.
Former artilleryman Christopher Davis, aged 33, said the 21-year-old woman woke up when he went into her bedroom and asked him for sex, in July last year.
Davis was a complete stranger and was at Exeter University for a conference of university sports organisers from all over Britain.
He tagged along with a group of students and delegates who went to the home of the President of the Exeter University's Athletics Union Joe Batten after an awards dinner.
The group met up with Exeter University students who had just finished their degrees and were about the graduate in ceremonies over the next few days.
The alleged victim had spent the day shopping for her graduation outfit before drinking with friends and meeting Mr Batten and his guests in a club.
She had drunk almost half a bottle of vodka, Jagerbomb and Apple Sour shorts, cider and lager before going to the party at Mr Batten's home where she took part in a drinking game in which a saucepan with Archers and lemonade was passed round.
A jury at Exeter Crown Court heard how she passed out and was carried to bed by friends, who were horrified to find Davis having sex with her when they went to check her a few minutes later.
Davis, of Maes y Wern, Carway, who worked at the University of Wales, Trinity St David at Carmarthen, denies raping the woman.
The former soldier, who served in the Royal Horse Artillery for 13 years, said he did not notice her slumped on the floor or being carried to bed semi-conscious and did not think she was that drunk.
He said he asked the host if he could sleep at his house, and was shown into the same bedroom as the woman, who initially had her back to him. They were strangers.
He said: "She turned to me and asked me if I wanted sex. I thought she looked nice. I had a fiancée and two children back home but I did not think about my family situation.
"I thought it was going to be sex with no strings attached and my fiancée would never find out. I turned towards her and started kissing her.
"She kissed me back and we started to get changed. I took her bottom half off. I started kissing and got on top of her. She was enjoying herself and was a willing partner.
"It is absolute rubbish that I took advantage of a drunken girl. I did not force myself on her.
"She was not in such a bad state, she spoke clearly. She was a nice girl who came onto me."
He said two men came into the room and told him to get out and he fled because he thought they may attack him.
Prosecutor Mr Andrew MacFarlane, in cross examination, asked: "To you she was just a piece of sexual meat? She was drunk. She was a stranger. You were having sex with her without even speaking to her.
"I suggest you saw a girl who was obviously incapacitated and drunk being taken into the room and you thought 'that's my chance'. You got into bed and proceeded to rape her while she was unconscious.
"You thought you would get away with it because she would never know and would never tell anyone because she was too drunk."
He said: "No, that was not the case, no. She was a nice girl. She came onto me."
The trial continues
