Woman denies saying 'I need a sh*g' before alleged sexual assault in Helston

A woman has denied telling an acquaintance “I need to go home with someone tonight” on the same night she was allegedly sexually assaulted at the steps of a churchyard.

The complainant in the trial of Calvin Rosevear and Joe Skewes was being cross examined on day two of the trial at Truro Crown Court.

Rosevear, from Mullion, and Skewes, from Helston, are charged with a total of six offences relating to an alleged incident in Helston during the early hours of July 9 last year.

Rosevear is charged with rape involving penetration of the mouth, and additionally with sexual assault.

Skewes is charged with three counts of sexual assault and one of assault by penetration using fingers.

Both men have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The offences are alleged to have taken place at the steps of St Michael’s Churchyard.

You can read about day one of the trial here: Woman tells court she was sexually assaulted in Helston churchyard

In cross examination on Tuesday, Rosevear’s barrister, Nigel Wraith, suggested that the complainant had told a woman in the Beehive pub before the alleged assault: “I need to go home with someone tonight” before going on to add: “I need a shag.”

The complainant denied saying either of these things, telling the court: “No, that is not true.”

When asked if she was looking for sexual interaction that night, she replied: “I was out with work friends. It wasn’t something I was looking for.”

It was suggested by Mr Wraith that bruising on the complainant’s hand was caused by the woman falling, rather than the grip Rosevear had placed on her while walking up the street, as she had suggested on Monday.

However, the woman replied: “I know I didn’t hurt my hand when I fell over because it didn’t start hurting until I was walking with the two men.”

She denied telling Rosevear he was “f***ing gorgeous.”

Mr Wraith asked why the complainant had initially told a woman and her boyfriend who came upon the incident that she was fine, rather than asking for help.

The complainant replied: “Yes I said I was OK. I was pretty embarrassed because I didn’t know what happened and I didn’t know where I was. It was unfamiliar and it was dark.

“I knew I needed to leave but I was embarrassed at first, because I thought it was my fault I was in that situation and then I realised it wasn’t my fault.”

The court heard yesterday how the couple continued to walk past initially, but returned shortly afterwards as the woman “thought there was something not right about what she had seen.”

The complainant went on to tell the court today (Tuesday): “When they came back and she kept asking ‘Are you OK?’ I started to realise I wasn’t OK. I got emotional and was aware I needed to leave.”

She went on to add: “At the time I thought it was my fault but when I looked back I knew how I had been manipulated as a drunk woman, it wasn’t my fault at all.

“I needed someone to bring me back from that state of being unconscious so many times and realise that someone should have taken care of me, not taken my dignity from me like that.”

When asked whether she told her mother the next day that she had been sexually assaulted, the complainant replied: “I didn’t say that to her. I explained what had happened.

“I didn’t understand it at first but it didn’t feel right. I didn’t want to be there or ask to be in that situation.”

She went on to add: “My mum is older than me. She knew this was not right. She said that sounds like sexual assault.”

It was then that the complainant contacted the police.

When put by Mr Wraith that it was in fact “wholly consensual”, the complainant replied it was non-consensual, adding: “I should have been taken home instead of being taken to a church step.

“I thought I was being taken to my friend and instead I was being taken advantage of.”

During police interview the woman spoke on a number of occasions about waking up after losing consciousness, to find her face on Rosevear’s ‘jeans’.

However, Mr Wraith put to her: “He says he wasn’t wearing jeans, he said he was wearing surf shorts. Do you actually really remember what he had on?”

To which the complainant replied: “It felt like jeans on my face.”

It was put to the woman by Rupert Taylor, barrister for Skewes, that on CCTV captured directly after the alleged incident it appeared she was walking normally and did not look drunk, but she replied she was, and that people who looked her in the eye knew she was.

In re-examination, prosecutor Jason Beal then re-played CCTV showing the woman staggering and walking in a circle, at a time before the alleged incident, and later falling over near to the Museum of Cornish Life, shortly before the alleged assault.

The trial continues.