Court told: Bed move was a ‘bad decision’

The man, aged in his early 20s, claims he woke up to find the 56-year-old MP on top of him, and he was then raped as he laid “in shock”.

The incident is said to have taken place after the complainant attended a dinner party last year at Evans’s home in his Ribble Valley constituency, which covers Farington, Lostock Hall, Tardy Gate and Bamber Bridge.

Preston Crown Court heard the man say he had not invited or wanted any sexual contact but he said he got under the covers with Evans after he was “escorted” to his bedroom.

He was asked by prosecutor Mark Heywood QC why he had followed the MP into his bed when his intention had been to sleep alone in an attic at the address in the village of Pendleton.

The witness replied: “I don’t know.

“Now in hindsight, it was stupid, but at the time I did not see that it would necessarily lead to something more.

“It was a bad decision but I didn’t rationalise it at the time.”

Mr Heywood asked: “Did you intend that sexual activity would take place?”

“No,” he replied.

The prosecutor said: “With Mr Evans?”

“No,” he repeated.

The complainant went on to describe numerous attempts by the MP to engage in sexual activity while they were in bed together during the night which he brushed away.

Giving evidence in court from behind a screen, the complainant said several hours later he awoke to find Evans assaulting him, he said.

He said: “I didn’t move at all. I couldn’t move...in shock.

“Even though what had been going on back and forth, I felt (it was) a rapid escalation and I was not prepared for it.”

When arrested last May on suspicion of rape, the MP told detectives that sexual contact between the pair had been consensual.

The complainant is one of seven young men that Evans is alleged to have sexually assaulted on various dates between 2002 and last year.

Evans denies one rape, two indecent assaults and six sexual assaults.

(Proceeding)