A woman was left feeling “sick and dirty” after allegedly being raped as she slept, a court has heard.

Neil Bell, 51, has gone on trial at Carlisle Crown Court. He denies one allegation of rape which follows an incident on October 17, 2015.

Prosecutor Peter Horgan, who opened the case to jurors, said Bell had tried to kiss the woman, who pulled away.

“He said that he only wanted a kiss,” he told the jury.

“She made it crystal clear she did not want to have sexual intercourse with him.”

The woman – said to have drunk “eight or nine cans” of alcohol – “fell asleep” and was “woken” by Bell.

It emerged sex had occurred between the pair.

Mr Horgan said: “The Crown’s case is that when he had sex with (the woman) she did not consent to it and that he did not reasonably believe that she was consenting to it.”

The woman later texted a friend, reporting “she had been mortal drunk and that Mr Bell had had sex with her while she was asleep”.

Jurors saw video footage of her police interview. The officer asked: “Would you have consented to having sex with him?”

The woman responded: “No. . . I made it clear I didn’t want that.”

After police were alerted Bell, of Walls Road, Salterbeck, Workington, was arrested.

Mr Horgan said Bell stated the woman “was still able to – and clearly did – consent to having sex with him”.

The trial continues.