AN ALLEGED rape victim told a court she told her attacker to stop three times, in an encounter which left her feeling “sick”, “scared” and “shaken”.

Sebastian Smith, 26, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court facing charges of rape and sexual assault by penetration.

The charges – which Smith denies – date back to July 3, 2020.

Smith, of George Street in Brynmawr, told police in his interview that the complainant had initiated the encounter, and that he stopped when she withdrew her consent.

The complainant, who was being cross-examined by defence counsel Jenny Yeo, told the jury that she had visited Smith’s house to watch a film.

She said they went up to the bedroom, as that was where the TV with the Netflix subscription was, and sat on the edge of the bed for about “10 to 15 minutes” chatting and trying to choose a film.

After they chose a film, the complainant said Smith lay down on the bed, while she sat with her back against the wall near the head of the bed, with her “legs over his”.

The complainant told the court that Smith “turned round and grabbed [her] by the arms”.

She said he pulled her down the bed, and after pinning her down, pulled her trousers down – all in “around five seconds”.

Ms Yeo asked if this was the “continuation of the play fighting and foreplay from earlier”.

“No it wasn’t,” replied the complainant.

Ms Yeo asked the complainant whether when she said ‘no, stop’ while they were having sex, was the first time she had said that.

“No, I told him three times to stop,” she said. “I told him to stop when he pulled down my trousers.

“I didn’t want to have sex with him.”

The complainant was asked whether Smith heard her when she first said ‘stop’.

“I don’t know,” she said.

She told the court that she suffered “bruises on [her] arms” from being pinned down by Smith.

The complainant said that she then went to the toilet before coming back into the bedroom and sitting on the bed, texting her mum – asking if she wanted anything from the shop – before leaving.

“You didn’t go downstairs to get away from him?” asked Ms Yeo.

“Yes, because he had the key on him to get out,” said the complainant.

Prosecutor John Ryan asked the complainant why she was going to the shop.

“To get some drink,” she said. “Just to take my mind off stuff.”

Can you remember how you were feeling,” asked Judge David Wynn Morgan.

“Sick. Scared. Shaken,” she replied.

Ms Yeo asked why the complainant hadn’t asked to leave earlier. She replied that she had been “too scared to say anything”.

“Mr Smith had no idea that you wanted to leave did he?” asked Ms Yeo.

“No,” the complainant said.

The court heard that the complainant told her mother about the incident later that day.

Her mother, in a statement read out in court, said the complainant had told her “I feel sick to my stomach”.

She said her daughter also told her “Seb raped me”, “I told him to stop three times”, “He eventually got off me”, and “Why is my life such a god damn mess?”.

“I was in shock,” said the complainant’s mum.

The court heard a statement from PC Kirsty Madden, who arrested Smith.

She said Smith said to his father “Apparently I’ve raped her”, before adding “She touched my penis first”.

DC Leon Gore, the officer on the case, said he had been called to Hilltop mountain in Ebbw Vale shortly before 7pm on July 3, where the complainant had called the police from.

“She was very distressed. She was visibly shaken. She had her head down, she was shaking. She was clearly upset,” said DC Gore.

DC Gore read a transcript from Smith’s interview, where Smith said the complainant “initiated sexual touching” by touching his penis over his clothing.

Smith told the police that the complainant “continued to kiss” him after this, and that when she said “stop, stop, stop”, he did so.

Smith told officers that the complainant contacted him after she had left “making allegations”.

“I apologised to her,” he said. “But I did not accept the allegations.”

The trial before Judge Wynn Morgan continues.