Rape accused believed girl was adult, court hears

The 14-year-old girl was allegedly attacked in Houndwell Park

A man who denies raping a 14-year-old girl within minutes of meeting her outside a pub has told a court he was "led to believe that she was 18".

Nicholas Foreman, 43, of Christchurch, Dorset, is charged with attacking the teenager in Houndwell Park, Southampton, at about 22:30 BST on 15 February.

He denies two counts of rape, one of sexual assault and three alternative charges of sexual activity with a child.

The defendant, who is engaged to be married, told Winchester Crown Court: "I am a fully grown man. I am not attracted to 14-year-old girls."

Charles Gabb, prosecuting, previously said the alleged assault took place 26 minutes after the pair met outside the Standing Order pub.

In video-recorded evidence, the girl said they began to kiss and she was attacked after the defendant said "how beautiful I was for a 14-year-old girl".

The pair met outside The Standing Order pub, the jury heard

However, Mr Foreman, a carpenter, who was born in Guildford, Surrey, told the court: "I was led to believe that she was 18."

The defendant said that he had been offended when police asked him if he was attracted to children.

He said he felt "awful, terrible towards my own family but [the complainant's] family and herself, a little bit speechless to be honest".

Mr Foreman said he was in Southampton to watch a football match and had drunk six to eight beers over the course of several hours.

The judge ordered the jury to find the defendant not guilty of a charge of anal rape and an alternative charge of sexual activity with a child after the prosecution stated there was no case to answer on these two counts.

The trial continues.