by Paul Hooper

A jury in the attempted rape trial of a Canterbury man heard this morning of his alleged victim’s account of the incident.

The girl, aged 20, from Whitstable had been taken to the police station – and her statement videoed by officers.

She sat in the witness box as it was played to the court – and to Michael Brock, 25, who has denied attempted rape and sex assault.

The girl told the police: “We met this man in Wall Tavern Pub where I was with my friends. He just tagged along.”

She said the group then went to a wine bar in Whitstable called Deco 5, but Brock followed them and began “harassing some of the people in there” she alleged.

She continued: “He claimed that he had lost his bank card and couldn’t pay for the drinks and the landlady was getting pretty p***** off. So I said: ‘Ok, we’ll go and find your bank card’.

“So we made the two minute walk back to the Wall Tavern and we saw the landlord, who was just locking up, and he said he hadn’t seen the bank card. So I said: ‘Right, I want to go home’, “ she said.

She claimed: “He then said did I want to go back to his and I said ‘No, not at all. I basically then said; ’bye’ and gave him the minimalist hug possible because he was getting a bit weird.

“He then tried to kiss me, and I pushed him off. He then tried to grab me and pull me closer and then he tried to forcibly kiss me. That’s when I shoved him and he went back a couple of feet and then I said: ‘Don’t come near me or I will run’.

“I then ran but he caught me. That’s when he grabbed me and was pushing me about. He tried to push me between a wall and a car.

"I ended up on the floor, he either shoved me or I tripped.. By then he was trying to get his... you know... out of his trousers.

"I could hear his belt rattling and I kept trying to get up and get away, “ she claimed.

She told the jury that her trousers and pants were then pulled off with her “fighting and kicking him”.

She added: “I don’t know how I got away. I don’t remember too much.”
Brock, from Cornwallis Circle in Whitstable, has denied the charges.

The trial continues.