Architect Rapes 'Blind Date'

An architect who raped his blind date told her: "Girls say no, but they don't mean it," a court heard. 

University of Greenwich graduate Adam Leheup, 34, a technical co-ordinator on the £500m Nine Elms Point Development insisted on having sex with the 25 year-old despite her shouting: "No, no," the Blackfriars Crown Court jury were told.

Prosecutor Ish Sheikh told the court the couple met on dating app 'Let's Date' - which connects users who mutually find each other attractive - and had two bottles of wine at Gordons Wine Bar, Embankment after meeting and walking across Waterloo Bridge.

It was so late Leheup had missed his last train and his date agreed to put him up for the night.

"She made it clear nothing would happen and they went to a second bar, 'Joe's', in Camden where they had mojito's.

"He started kissing my neck and it made me a bit uncomfortable, but it wasn't vicious or nasty and later I did kiss him back. We were getting on well," the woman told police in a video interview.

"The kissing had got a bit more aggressive, stuff I did not like, his hand on my throat, which makes me vulnerable.

"I said: 'Nothing is going to happen.' I'm not that kind of girl."

Mr. Sheikh added: "The defendant was also a bit funny towards her when she was talking to other men at the bar."

They returned to the complainant's flat in the early hours.

"She shares it with two others and when they got into the bedroom she changed into jogging bottoms and a top and got into bed, where the defendant joined her without any clothes on at all.

"He started kissing her and got on top of her and she was shouting: 'No, no,' and to stop, but he did not take any heed of these cries and touched her with his fingers."

"Partial intercourse occurred for a very short time and the young woman managed to get away and told Leheup: 'Why did you do that when I said no?'"

Mr Sheikh added: "One of the flatmates was woken because of the shouting and told Mr Leheup to leave, but he wouldn't because he said he had work the next day and wanted to wait until the trains started running.

"The flatmate threatened to call the police and Leheup clambered down scaffolding outside the balcony door, but was arrested on the way to the underground station.

"When questioned by police the defendant said his date did not object to being touched intimately by him.

"He said he was fondling her breasts and there was no talk of sex one way or the other.

"When they arrived at the bedroom he said she said words to the effect of: 'Welcome to my crack den.'

"He said he took her bra off because she wanted a back massage with some oil and they began kissing. "He said he got on top of her her and she then freaked out and as soon as she did he got off her," explained Mr. Sheikh.

"He said he climbed down the scaffolding to avoid a confrontation.

"When she was shouting: 'No' he should have known she was not consenting. He was not going to take no for an answer that night."

The young woman admits she was under the influence of alcohol. " I was probably more drunk than I should have been. I was feeling a bit giddy, a bit tipsy, but I was not falling over."

The trial continues