A man accused of the date rape of a young mother a

A man accused of the date rape of a young mother at his flat, forced himself on five other women in a ‘strikingly similar’ set of attacks, an Old Bailey jury heard today.

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Although Nicholas Edwards, 39, stands accused of just one sex attack, the prosecution have been allowed to call five other complainants to show it is not just one woman’s word against his.

And David Perry, prosecuting, said:

‘If the defendant is telling the truth you may think he is a very unlucky man.

‘

Edwards, a welder, is accused of attacking the 23-year old mum after luring her to his flat in August 1998.

But in a highly unusual step five of his previous alleged victims will give evidence to show that Edwards raped them in in an almost identical way to that of the latest complainant.

Mr Perry explained: ‘Since 1984 a number of allegations of rape have been made against Nicholas Edwards.

You will hear evidence from five other women who say they were raped.

‘There is no suggestion that these women were known to each other,’ Mr Perry said.

He added that in ordinary circumstances a jury would not hear allegations made by other women other than those contained in the indictment.

‘The prosecution are able to do that because his conduct was so strikingly similar on these occasions.

‘

Mr Perry said that in the most recent case, Edwards met the victim – referred to as Miss D – while she was walking along Clapham High Street, south London, near to Edwards’ workplace.

Miss D chatted with Edwards who gave her his business card.

The next day Edwards called at Miss D’s flat in Clapham and asked her if she wanted to go for a drink.

Miss D declined, but that evening she arranged to meet Edwards in a Clapham pub and he gave her a lift home.

She felt Edwards ‘was really not her type’ and the next day he asked her to go to go for a walk in the park.

But Edwards said he needed to go home first.

‘Rather than just going to pick up a few coins or notes the defendant decided he wanted to go for a shower and of course he had to take off his clothes,’ Mr Perry said.

In the tiny flat in Sydenham, south London, Edwards emerged from the shower clothed only below his waist, the jury heard.

He told Miss D he liked her and she agreed to blow dry his hair, Mr Perry said.

Before he allowed Miss D to leave the flat Edwards asked her to kiss him, which she eventually did with her mouth closed, as she wanted to leave.

Edwards then responded by saying: ‘You can do better than that,’ Mr Perry alleged.

But they walked to a park where he asked her to have a relationship with him, which she refused.

Then over the Bank Holiday weekend they met up and went to a south London wine bar.

On the way back, Edwards said he wanted to call in on his flat in Sydenham to get some money.

As Miss D felt uncomfortable, she offered to buy the drinks as she didn’t trust him.

Miss D said she would wait in his car, but Edwards told her the estate was too dangerous, and she followed him in.

Inside Edwards rolled a cannabis joint while Miss D sat on the edge of his bed.

Mr Perry said the defendant then removed his clothes and told her to ‘lie back and relax.

‘Then the defendant pushed her down and got on top of her, attempted to kiss her and put his hand up her skirt.

‘

Mr Perry claimed at that stage Edwards’ personality suddenly changed.

He became angry and forced her to have sex against her will without a condom, the prosecutor claimed.

‘He pushed her down on the bed, put his arm against her throat and said words to the effect of: ‘Get your f***ing knickers off.

”

After he finished he rolled another joint and raped her again, it was alleged.

‘The girl was crying and shaking and clearly upset and at the conclusion of all this the defendant told her to stop crying and agreed to take her home,’ said counsel.

The defendant then left, saying to the woman: ‘You know you looked really nice tonight.

‘

The girl went home, told her mother’s partner what happened and had a bath in Dettol and bleach.

Edwards later told Miss D was lying and had agreed to sex.

Mr Perry then outlined the five other occasions that bore a remarkable resemblance to the rape alleged by Miss D.

‘The only connection they have is that they are witnesses in this case is that they were forced to submit to sexual intercourse by this defendant.

‘

‘If the defendant is telling the truth you may think he is a very unlucky man.

‘

‘Because if the defendant is telling the truth he has chosen to have sexual intercourse with six women who quite independently complained of rape.

‘

In April 1984, when Edwards was 23 and living in High Wycombe he met a 19-year-old girl, ‘Miss N’ who had recently left college.

After a few meetings in the street, Edwards visited her at her home address.

After some conversation, he tried to kiss her – which she refused.

Like the case involving Miss D, Edwards’ personality suddenly changed, and he got on top of her, pushed her down on the bed and raped her, Mr Perry said.

When Miss N complained to the police, Edwards told them she consented to sex.

A year later, on 13 February 1985, again while Edwards was living in High Wycombe, he met a 17-year-old called Miss S at a petrol station near his home and offered to take her for a drive.

He drove her to his home and while she sat on the bed, she rebuffed attempts to kiss her and he raped her.

Miss S complained immediately after.

Again Edwards told police the girl was lying and had consented to sex.

In May 1989 Edwards met a woman called Miss J, aged 20, at nightclub, called The Podium in Vauxhall.

He offered to give her a lift home, but when she got in his car he forced her to have sex with him.

Miss J – who didn’t even know Edwards’ name took the number of his car and reported him to the police.

He told them she consented.

In March 1991, Edwards raped 33-year-old Miss R, a nurse, in his Honda car, in the churchyard of St Mary’s church, Battersea, south London, Mr Perry claimed.

The woman, who he had met on a flight back from the Caribbean, made an immediate complaint to the police.

Edwards again said his victim was lying and that she consented to sex.

Some two years later, in 18 July 1993, Edwards raped a virgin, Miss L in almost exactly the same way in the same churchyard.

He had met her in the street, and again he told police she consented.

Miss L, 26, escaped from Edwards by pretending to go to a kebab shop to get some food, but called the police.

Edwards told officers his victim consented, it was alleged.

Taking all the cases together ‘it is no longer Miss D’s word against the defendant,’ Mr Perry added.

Edwards, of (48) Wirrall House, Sydenham Estate, Wells Park Road, Sydenham denies one charge of rape on August 31, 1998.

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