IPSWICH: A young woman was slapped across the face and had her underwear ripped off before being allegedly raped, a court has heard.

The woman, who is in her early 20s, had returned to Satpreet Singh’s Ipswich home after a night out and had gone to bed fully clothed on a mattress, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

Shortly afterwards, Singh, who she knew prior to the evening in question, had got on to the mattress with her and had started cuddling her, said Christopher Paxton, prosecuting.

The woman realised that Singh didn’t have any trousers on and told him to “get off”.

She moved away from him, but he touched her breasts and tried to put his hand down the back of her trousers.

He ignored the woman’s protests to stop and had roughly pulled at her clothing resulting in her underwear being ripped, said Mr Paxton.

Singh had then allegedly slapped her across the face and bottom before raping her and forcing her to perform a sex act on him.

Mr Paxton claimed that Singh told the woman he would “get mad” if she didn’t do as she was told.

“She felt as if she was trapped,” said Mr Paxton.

After allegedly raping the woman, Singh had quickly fallen asleep and the woman, who had no money with her, took a �20 note from one of his pockets and took a taxi home.

Mr Paxton said the taxi driver noted she was distressed and during the journey she telephoned a friend and told her she’d been raped.

Singh was arrested several hours later and he claimed he and the woman had consensual sex.

Singh, 28, of Salisbury Road, Ipswich, has denied two offences of raping the woman on July 31 last year.

Mr Paxton told the court that on the evening in question Singh had gone out drinking in Ipswich with his cousin and the alleged victim.

The woman had not drunk any alcohol, but described Singh and his cousin as “pretty gone”.

The trial continues today.