Man accused of raping woman at Green Man Festival sobs while giving evidence

A man accused of raping a woman in her tent at the Green Man Festival sobbed in court after describing the moment he found out he had been accused of a sexual offence. The man denies rape and claims sexual activity between the two of them was consensual.

Thomas Mason, 28, is accused of raping the alleged victim and of sexually assaulting her by penetration at the annual music festival in Crickhowell, Powys. The complainant was later heard crying in her tent and fears the defendant may have taken an image of her on his phone.

A trial at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Monday heard Mason and the complainant were not known to each other, but met while dancing in a tent.

The court previously heard the complainant had been drinking alcohol and had taken ecstasy that night.

She and the defendant began kissing and they agreed to go back to her tent. They had consensual sexual intercourse but the complainant found it painful and asked Mason to stop, which he did.

But after a while she felt the defendant touch her between her legs and said he slapped her to the face and to her breasts, the court heard.

It is alleged he then put his penis inside the complainant's vagina and raped her. She was in pain and told him to stop, but she says he refused.

In her opening, prosecutor Clare Wilks said: "(The complainant) described her body feeling limp and was confused about what was happening. She told him to stop and she was frightened as she was worried he would become more violent. She felt like a ragdoll and dissociated."

The court heard Mason placed the complainant on her front and put his hands around her neck before allegedly raping her again.

The woman said the defendant then spat on his finger and inserted it into her. Mason was then accused of ejaculating on the complainant.

Giving evidence on Thursday, Mason, originally from Aberdare, said he had been drinking at the festival and described himself feeling the effects of alcohol but was not staggering about or blacking out.

He said: "I was just dancing with my friends… I was looking round dancing and I could see this woman staring at me from this direction. That’s when I noticed her because she was looking at me…

"I looked away initially because I was dancing, when I saw she was continually looking at me I made eye contact with her…

"We were just kind of dancing towards each other and met somewhere in the middle… We started dancing together, talking, started kissing and she suggested we go back to her tent…

"At first just dancing and moving your body, she was bending over and twerking and rubbing against me… (Kissing) was quite passionate and full on. It was lips, tongue, kissing…

"The only thing I remember her saying was going back to her tent and doing stuff… She said she wanted to suck my d*** or penis, along those lines…

"We stayed dancing for a little bit longer, there were multiple times she mentioned stuff in my ear. Ten minutes and she led me back to her tent where she was camping… I just followed her and she was holding my hand."

Defence barrister John Ryan asked the defendant what happened when he got back to the tent.

Mason said he and the complainant took their clothes off, kissed and touched each other's bodies before both engaged in oral sex.

The defendant said he asked her about having sexual intercourse, and said the complainant nodded.

He described having sex with the complainant, during which he asked her if he wanted her to slow down.

Mr Ryan said: "Were there any words such as no or stop?" Mason said: "No." Mr Ryan said: "Were there any noises which suggested she wasn’t enjoying it?" Mason said: "No, it was pleasurable."

The defendant said he and the complainant continued having sex and changed position once during intercourse.

He said he asked the complainant if she wanted him to stop, and after she said she did, he stopped and masturbated until he ejaculated.

Mason said he attempted to fall asleep but then made the decision to get dressed and go back to his own tent.

He said: "I told her I was leaving, she didn’t respond and her eyes were closed. I thought she was asleep. I gave her a kiss on the shoulder and left

Mr Ryan said: "Did you hear her crying at all?" Mason said: "No I didn’t." Mr Ryan said: "Did she ever repeatedly say stop stop stop or no no no?" Mason said: "Not repeatedly no."

The barrister continued: "At any stage did you slap her anywhere?" Mason said: "No." Mr Ryan said: "Did you put your hands around her throat?" Mason said: "No, I might have put my hands on her neck but not choking or strangling."

The defendant said it wasn't until the next weekend after the festival that he realised he had been accused of a sexual offence, after a friend sent him a link to an efit image.

He said: "Later that night, when I was back home I was on Facebook and saw the description of the clothing and a chicken mask and I realised it was me being accused."

Mr Ryan said: "Did you realise it was a sexual offence?"

Mason said: "I think so, I was distraught when I realised it was me. I don’t know how to put into words, I couldn’t believe it was me. I was instantly scared, crying, panicking about what I was going to do."

The defendant started sobbing in the dock at this point.

He called his mother, and asked her to call the police and she came to collect him. Mason was arrested at his parents house the following day and was interviewed by police.

Mr Ryan said: "Is there any truth in the allegations you raped the complainant or assaulted her by placing your finger into her anus."

Sobbing, the defendant said: "No, none."

In cross examination, prosecutor Clare Wilks asked Mason about the interaction between him and the complainant in the tent, after they had had consensual sex.

Ms Wilks said: "What I suggest is after a moment of calm you started to touch her again, by then she was not responding to you. You became rough with her, manhandling her, slapping her and moving her around that tent."

The defendant said: "No."

Mason, of John Williams Close, Brockley, London, has pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault.

The trial continues.