Jury considers verdicts of rape-accused BGT singer

Andrew Johnston, 30, denies raping two women

A jury has retired to consider its verdicts in the trial of a Britain's Got Talent (BGT) finalist accused of raping two women.

Andrew Johnston, 30, from Carlisle, competed as a singer on the TV talent show in 2008 and is on trial at Southwark Crown Court charged with raping one woman and raping and sexually assaulting another.

Prosecutors allege that he twice took a condom off during sex and continued with the intercourse, while another woman claims he groped her bottom and kissed her at a club.

Mr Johnston denies the charges.

The alleged offences happened a number of years after Johnston shot to fame as a choirboy on the ITV show, Maryam Syed KC, prosecuting, told the jury previously.

Ms Syed said Johnston had been "engaging in consensual sexual activity" with one of the women, but he allegedly removed his condom, and she "repeatedly told Mr Johnston to stop" but he did not.

The woman told the jury that after the alleged rape she stayed over because she "felt frozen".

The other woman told police she engaged in consensual sex with the singer and asked him to use a condom.

The woman said she started to feel his hands around her neck and "no matter how many times she removed them", he kept putting his hands back around her throat, Ms Syed said.

He then stopped and removed the condom, then carried on with the sex, it is alleged.

Mr Johnston's case is that both women have told "a pack of lies", the court heard during cross-examination.

He described his lovemaking as "fast, energetic, maybe a bit passionate" but told the jury he was never aggressive, always used a condom and the sex was consensual.

Mr Johnston told the court he has "never sung a note" since the allegations were made against him and he has suffered from depression, his mental health is "terrible" and he has broken up with a girlfriend.