Worcester barman accused of rape 'shocked' by allegation

Richard Glazzard of Friar Street, Worcester appeared in the witness box at Worcester Crown Court today as the defence case formally began.

There was a delay of around 40 minutes because two jurors needed lateral flow tests because of the Covid-19 pandemic, which proved negative, as a precaution.

Read the opening of the case

Glazzard was working as a barman at the Slug and Lettuce in Worcester city centre at the time of the alleged attack, and is accused of carrying out the rape in the early hours of October 27, 2019.

The prosecution case, presented by Simon Phillips, is that Glazzard was told 'no' on six or seven occasions by the complainant who could not have been clearer that she did not want to have sex with him.

Glazzard had never challenged her use of the word rape in subsequent messages, Mr Phillips said.

At one stage Mr Phillips said she told him: "Even dogs understand no."

The 34-year-old defendant told the jury he had left school at 16 and worked in various jobs including in shops, at Tramps nightclub, Sin, Bushwackers and the Slug and Lettuce, all in Worcester.

Examined by his barrister, Michael Morris, Glazzard accepted he had been described as 'vanilla' or 'boring' in the bedroom and had bought a bondage kit from Ann Summers.

The defendant said he had never received any indication that the complainant 'felt pressurised' into sex.

"Did you think she wasn't really consenting?" said Mr Morris.

"No" replied Glazzard.

Glazzard described putting his arms around the complainant and kissing her neck, before touching her intimately and progressing to full sex. He told the jury: "She seemed fine."

"Did she at any point ask you to stop touching her?" said Mr Morris.

Again Glazzard replied 'no'. He said at one point she pushed his hand away 'just the once' but said she had not objected at any point.

Glazzard said he could not see her face during sex and believed she had been enjoying it.

The next day he said the complainant had been 'off' with him and 'angry about the night before' but that at that point she 'didn't go into details'.

"I was confused. I kept telling her to calm down so we can talk. She was just shouting and wanting to leave" said Glazzard.

The defendant said that during a later conversation she told him 'she didn't want that' and that was when he started to get the idea that she thought 'I had forced myself on her the night before'.

"Did that fit with your memory of what happened the night before?" said Mr Morris.

Again Glazzard answered 'no'. When asked how he felt about the allegation he answered: "I was shocked and I tried to explain to her 'that's not what happened'.

She got angry and was saying 'was I trying to say she was lying? Why would I do that?'

"The more I tried to say 'that isn't what happened - I didn't do that' she just got angry."

He said he felt 'shocked and upset' that he had been accused of rape.

The trial continues.