A WOMAN says she was physically sick after a man raped her on a Worcester fire escape when she was a teenager.

Richard Hirschfield, 43, of Dilmore Lane, Fernhill Heath denies raping her more than 20 years ago as he appeared for the first day of his trial at Worcester Crown Court yesterday. His accuser, who cannot be identified, was 16 when the alleged attack took place on the fire escape of what was then the Midland Shire Farmers Building in the Dolday/The Butts area of Worcester (what later became Russell and Dorrell and is now part of the Heart of Worcestershire College) between July 1 and July 31, 1998

Adam Western, for the prosecution, described how the woman had been with Hirschfield in the Paul Pry pub in The Butts before the attack took place. Mr Western said: "She says he knew she didn't want to have sex with him because she told him repeatedly and she struggled to try and stop him."

The complainant said she told police at the time what happened but that no records were made, no prosecution followed and that officers 'made her feel like what happened was her fault'. Many years later she messaged the defendant and his wife using Facebook.

"She sent him a message calling him a rapist" said Mr Western.

The woman returned to the police with the allegation in 2018. The defendant was arrested and denied the offence while accepting consensual sex took place. In a video interview, recorded on February 16, 2018 and played to the jury yesterday, she said the two had been kissing and that Hirschfield, who said he was a fireman, told her to 'lie back'.

However, she said she told him 'I don't want to' and 'I'm not having sex with you'. She described the defendant's response as 'cocky', something like 'we will see about that' and 'you don't know what you're missing' before he had unprotected sex with her against her will.

The woman told police she had been petrified of contracting AIDS or HIV and went to a clinic. She said of the alleged attack; "I sat up and vomited. His words were 'I've just made love to you and you have vomited. I said 'that's not what you have just done to me'."

When she first reported the alleged rape to police in 1998 she said officers were 'far from sympathetic' and said she felt it was almost like 'what are you doing wasting my time?'

The trial continues.