Sussex University student on trial for rape during Freshers’ Week 2016

The defendant searched what the minimum sentence for rape is on his mobile phone

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A Sussex student is currently on trial for rape, accused of raping a 20 year old woman in her student flat during Freshers’ Week 2016.

Liam Allen, now 22, had just started his second year studying computer science, and was out on a self-organised bar crawl with the University Royal Navy Unit.

The 20 year old reported to police that she had been drinking heavily and did not remember how she got home, but woke up to find Allen on top of her in her own university flat.

The day after the alleged incident, Allen's phone showed search terms which "included accused of rape, minimum sentence for rape and CPS guidelines for rape," the court heard.

Following the alleged rape, Allen spoke on the phone with the young woman and her boyfriend, denying rape allegations. Prosecuting lawyer Rachel Beckett told the court "he said he was sick and twisted for sleeping with her but she was able to consent."

The woman told police that on the night: "I said stop, he pinned me down, he was holding my arms, I couldn’t move him off. I don’t know how we got home or how it started," report The Argus.

"Every time I said stop, he would just hold me down again. I was trying to move just trying to get up off the bed, just trying to push him off. He was leaning over me and I couldn’t move so I just lay there and waited for him to finish.

"He was making sure I couldn’t move. It was horrible. I didn’t want it to happen."

Allen has been on bail since October 2016 and has been banned from campus whilst awaiting his trial which is currently happening.

Rachel Beckett, for the Crown Court, said that the young lady was so intoxicated that she was incapable of consenting to sex, saying that he "took advantage of her state."

Beckett also showed photos of the woman’s bruises and asked if she had any bruising before going out, to which she answered no.

The trial is still continuing at the Hove Crown Court. Allen denies rape.