Durham University rape-accused had 'close relationship' with victim

The jury was previously told the woman was so drunk she was unable to hold a coherent conversation

A student accused of raping an undergraduate claims their relationship was "on the verge of becoming more intimate", a court has heard.

Durham University's Alistair Cooke is accused of following the alleged victim home from a party in June 2015.

Mr Cooke, 22, a third-year geography student, from Perranarworthal, Truro, Cornwall, denies three counts of rape.

He told Durham Crown Court he "fancied" the woman and spending time with her "made him feel happy".

Asked what stage their relationship was at before the incident, he said: "At that point I was uncertain, as things had progressed, we were spending time together one on one.

"It was progressing towards a more intimate one."

But he said he had not told her about his feelings.

He told the court: "I never made it explicit to her, at that point I did not know how she felt."

Mr Cooke also described a time they went ice skating together and claimed "she was insisting on us doing this thing where we would go to the other sides and then skate into each other's arms".

The trial has previously heard Mr Cooke held the woman down "like a ragdoll" as he raped her.

The court also heard Mr Cooke was a volunteer with the Nightline student service and, during his training, he role-played being accused of raping a drunken woman after following her home.

The trial continues.