An Ipswich man accused of being a member of a gang which allegedly took it in turns to rape a vulnerable 15-year-old girl has claimed she made advances to him.

James Bamber told a jury at Ipswich Crown Court he had gone upstairs to a bedroom in a house in Bulwer Road, Ipswich, and found the alleged victim lying naked on a bed.

He was shocked at what he saw and claimed the woman said: “I’m here for you” and he had replied “ok”.

“I was a bit awkward. I’d had a couple of drinks and thought ‘ok’. I kissed her and touched her breasts. We stopped after a few minutes,” said Bamber.

He accepted he had removed his clothing and had been naked during the incident.

He told the court he hadn’t taken any drugs during the evening.

Bamber claimed the alleged victim, who he hadn’t met before that evening, had told him she was 17.

Bamber, 29, of Burns Road; Bartosz Kowalewski, 32, of Norwich Road; Mateusaz Nowakowski, 25, of Yarmouth Road and Aurimas Nabazas, 34, of Lavender Hill, all of Ipswich, have denied two offences of conspiracy to rape.

Kowalewski has also denied facilitating the travel of the teenager with a view to her being sexually exploited.

It has been alleged the girl met up with Kowalewski on October 16 last year and he took her to a house in Bulwer Road, which was allegedly used as a clubhouse by him and fellow members of a gang called “Soldiers of Odin”.

Stephen Spence, prosecuting, alleged that Kowalewski telephoned his friends and invited them to come to the house with the intention of plying her with drunk and drugs so they could use her for their sexual pleasure.

Mr Spence claimed the girl had been “off her head” because of drugs and drink she had been given and was aware of men taking it in turns to have allegedly have sex with her.

The alleged incident came to an end when police went to the house after the girl’s mother reported her missing.

The trial continues next week.