Doctor denies double rape charge

A doctor raped two teachers on the same night after meeting them in a bar, a court has heard.

Dr Mark Rance, of Dover Road in Worthing, West Sussex, is accused of raping the two women at their Brighton flat on 10 September last year.

The 31-year-old admits having sex with them, but denies rape. He told police it was "with their consent".

Gillian Etherton, prosecuting, said the defendant claimed the women were lying because one of them had a boyfriend.

The pair arrived at the Karma bar in Brighton Marina at about 2100 GMT on the night in question.

Drinking wine

Complainant X said in her evidence at Lewes Crown Court on Monday: "I'd say I was very tipsy, verging on being quite drunk really. I can't really remember going to the bar."

She said she had already been drinking wine at a work party and at home with her dinner, and she and complainant Y then shared two more bottles at the club.

Ms Etherton said of X's encounter with the defendant: "They were chatting, flirting with each other and kissing and cuddling."

Complainant Y "left them to it", Ms Etherton said, taking her friend's handbag home with her for safekeeping.

But X did not know where her bag was, so she wanted to go back to her flat on leaving the bar with the defendant.

'Same man'

Ms Etherton told the jury that X remembers "passing out" at the flat, and then "the next thing she remembers is waking up with no clothes on and a naked man on top of her".

The complainant is then said to have asked Dr Rance to leave, but told him she would not say "he took advantage of me".

She heard a door slam and presumed the defendant had left the flat, until her friend went into her room and said she had woken to find Dr Rance having sex with her.

"She realised it was the same man she'd seen in the club kissing X... and pushed him off," Ms Etherton said.

The trial continues.