A drunken City worker was raped by a taxi driver i

A drunken City worker was raped by a taxi driver in his cab after she staggered away from her works Christmas party, a court heard today.

(TUES)

Georgios Stafilas, 40, offered the secretary a lift after she became separated from her colleagues at a wine bar in London’s glitzy Mayfair.

The 28-year-old drifted in and out of sleep during her journey home before waking to find the driver on top of her, it is alleged.

Her attacker had driven her to a secluded carpark before climbing over to the passenger seat and raping her under the gaze of CCTV cameras, the court heard.

The woman was attacked after a night out with colleagues from a City accountancy company four days before Christmas last year.

As part of the office celebration the group of work pals visited a restaurant in Park Lane, before drinking in King’s Road, Chelsea and ending up at the Dover Street Wine Bar, Mayfair.

‘She was doing what everybody does year after year at Christmas parties – eating, drinking and dancing,’ said Miss Kate Bex, prosecuting at the Old Bailey.

The pretty black-haired woman lost her pals while queuing to collect her coat from the cloakroom at the end of the night.

When she went outside the defendant, a minicab driver, was touting for business with his Ford Orion, jurors heard.

She asked to be taken to the landmark of Willesden Green library close to her home because taxi drivers often had problems finding her address.

‘She was, it is in no dispute, in an extremely drunken state,’ said Miss Bex.

‘She went to sleep on several occasions during her journey home.

‘She was driven to the library and Stafilas parked his car at the back of the car park.

‘He climbed over the top of her into the passenger side and pushed her knickers to one side and raped her.

‘It lasted about four minutes.

He climbed off because she awoke and pushed him away.

‘All she was aware of was his face on her neck.

‘

CCTV footage captured the moment the woman left the car ‘in haste’, before the defendant emerged from the same door, got into the driver’s seat and drove away, jurors heard.

When she arrived at her nearby home where she shares with three others, she ‘sobbed uncontrollably to the extent she was unable to speak’, said the prosecutor.

When arrested, the defendant claimed the alleged victim had consented and initiated to sex.

He claimed she approached him outside the wine bar and gave him ‘the come on’.

When he dropped her off at the library she said, ”let’s have sex”, he told the police when quizzed.

But Miss Bex said the woman was incapable of giving consent and added: ‘Why if it was consensual to something she initiated did she react the way she did to her housemates?’

Stafilas, of Fairford Court, Exbury Road, Catford denies rape on December 21 last year.

The trial continues.

ends

addxmas.