Police officer dragged 'paralytic' woman off sofa, raped her and got her pregnant, court hears
A woman has described how a police officer allegedly dragged her off a sofa while she was "paralytic" from drinking and raped her.
Jurors at Bradford Crown Court heard that the woman told police she felt “trapped” during the incident with Ben Lister at a friend’s home, and cried herself to sleep after he left.
The trial has heard that Lister is accused of dragging the "very drunk" woman off the sofa as she slept, before touching her sexually while she drifted "in and out of consciousness".
She did not remember having sexual intercourse with Lister but found out she was pregnant about a month later and went on to have the child, the jury was told.
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On Tuesday, jurors watched a police video interview in which the woman told an officer she was "paralytic" after the night out and "passed out on the couch" at a friend’s house.
She said she remembered being dragged off the sofa and Lister’s hand being on her chest.
She told police: "I don’t remember much after that because I think I blacked out, but I remember seeing his face on top of me."
Giving evidence in court, the woman said: "I had nightmares about it."
When asked what the nightmares were about, she said: "Just his head above me and his hands on my chest."
The woman told police she remembered pushing his hands away from her vagina but was unsuccessful.
She said: "He just carried on."
When the police officer asked the woman how it made her feel, she replied: "Trapped."
The woman, who said her top was unbuttoned, her bra was undone and her shorts and knickers were down her legs, said Lister left the house a short time after the incident and she "pretended to be out of it" until he had gone.
She said: "I think I cried then, I just cried myself to sleep."
She told police she "felt dirty" the next day and when she received a message from him asking how she was, she asked him: "Did I sleep with you last night?"
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He replied that they had not had sexual intercourse, but that some sexual activity had taken place.
The court heard that the woman claimed the father of her child was her ex-boyfriend, but she told police she knew Lister was the father because she had not had sex with anyone else for around a year previously, and she "saw his face" whenever she looked at her child.
The woman denied suggestions by defence barrister Laura Nash that she engaged in consensual sexual activity with Lister and that she had lied about not being able to remember having sex with him.
Nash said: “I suggest it was a consensual encounter that you agreed to.”
The barrister added: “The reason you told others you did not remember was that was the best way to package a lie about a rape.”
Lister, 36, denies one count of rape and one count of assault by penetration in August 2016.
