The four men accused of gang-raping a 16-year-old girl in Thanet set about lying about what they did, it has been claimed.

Simon Taylor, prosecuting, told the jury that the men subjected the teenager to her sex ordeal – and then lied to cover up.

In his final address, he told them: “Each of the defendants has sought refuge in the evidence against them.

“Each admitted their involvement where the evidence left them no credible (alternative) choice..and then sought to explain it away in the best way they could.”

Tamin Rahmani, 37, of Northwood Road, Ramsgate, Shershah Muslimyar, 20, of Hovenden Close, Canterbury, Rafiullah Hamidy, 24, formerly of Northwood Road and a teenager from Ashford, who can’t be named, all deny three rape charges.

Mr Taylor said that none of the four gave the same explanation when they were first questioned that they gave from the witness box.

“In each it was an evolution of deceit or evasion as they plotted in their minds how they could lie their way out.”

He said it had taken Muslimyar four-and-a-half hours of interviews before he claimed to have had sex with the girl in the street.

Pizza boss Rahmani was seen walking towards the girl on CCTV after parking his white Range Rover in which he had brought the other three home from a club.

Mr Taylor said that his DNA was found on the mattress and duvet cover in a flat above his 555Pizza business in Northwood Road, Ramsgate, where the girl claims she was raped.

Mr Taylor said: “He said he knew nothing about the girl, explaining the DNA findings by claiming he loaned Hamidy a duvet and on which he had earlier made love to his wife Mrs Rahmani in a flat next door; so his children wouldn’t hear them.

“Yet in his first interview (with police) he said he had never had sex on that duvet.

“Hamidy accepts having sexual intercourse with her and because this event happened in his room, on his mattress and on that duvet cover, he changed his story in the middle of this trial, “ he added.

Mr Taylor said none of the four has explained what happened to the teenager in the room.

The prosecutor said the girl had immediately made a rape complaint after being found wandering the streets.

Mr Taylor reminded the jury at Canterbury Crown Court of the girl’s evidence when she told them: “I’m not sure how many were in the room; think there were four or five of them.

“They were all like push, pushing, pushing me like to each other. One of them pushed me onto the bed. They were all laughing.

“They was laughing (sic) as they walked over. I think there was one or two by the door.”

The teenager alleged that one of the men held her shoulders so she couldn’t move.

“I can’t remember much after that to be honest..they kept swapping over..they were having sex..I told them to stop. I moved but they just carried on.”

Mr Taylor alleged the teenager was repeatedly raped “on that grubby mattress in Hamidy’s room in Rahmani’s property..yet not one of the defendants had claimed that didn’t happen.”

The jury is expected to retire later this week.