Rape charge man's 'consent' claim

A doctor who denies raping two women on the same night has told a court they both consented to having sex with him.

The two teachers claim Mark Rance, 31, of Dover Road, Worthing, West Sussex, raped them when he went to their flat after meeting them in a Brighton bar.

Prosecutors at Lewes Crown Court said both women woke up in their beds to find Dr Rance having sex with them.

But he told the court they did not object to his actions and were not asleep at any time.

Teachers' flat

Dr Rance met the women, X and Y, at the Karma bar in Brighton Marina on the evening of 10 September last year, the court heard.

He ended up going back to the two teachers' shared flat in Brighton, the jury was told.

Dr Rance, giving evidence on Wednesday, said he and X went into her bedroom and had consensual sex.

At some point he said she told him to stop and said she did not want him there in the morning.

Asked to stop

"I said: 'It was really nice to meet you, see you later'," the defendant told the court.

Dr Rance said he was going to leave the flat, but he knocked on Y's bedroom door and asked if he could go in.

He then had consensual sex with the other woman, he claims, until she said: "Right, I don't want you to do this anymore."

Dr Rance said he immediately stopped and let himself out of the flat.

The trial was adjourned until Thursday.