Homeless man accused of raping A-level student said ‘she had the time of her life’, court hears

A homeless man who allegedly raped a student a second time after asking her first attacker to “try” called her vile names to police, bragging that she “had the time of her life”, a court heard today.

Heavy sleeper Wesley Roden, 33, was on the run from police when he ran into the 18-year-old woman in Victoria Embankment Gardens, who was said to have been abused by another man, for whom police are still searching.

Roden, who denies being raped, was arrested the following day by PC Ryan McKinley, who told Southwark Crown Court jury: “I was a bit too jovial about it.” Like it was a joke.

It was not well cared for. She had clearly been living away for a considerable time. He punches the other man with his fist and says “get me involved” while that man is raping the girl. There is clearly no consent there.

Prosecutor Ben Temple told the jury when Roden was questioned by police: “He suggested in the interview that the complainant was an overzealous couple who instigated sexual activity, saying, ‘She had the time of her life.’

The student was raped by a mysterious man, suspicious seen here, who has not yet been found, the court said yesterday.

He said he was a slut and that she told him she had sex with strangers every weekend and was a “twisted little scum”.

“He can dish it out in an interview, but he’s not prepared to put his money where his mouth is,” the prosecutor added, referring to Roden’s decision not to testify before the jury.

He also told police: “She’s trying to sew me up,” insisting that she physically lured him to her to perform a sexual act.

Roden, of Museum Street, Warrington, who was heard at trial has twenty previous criminal convictions, including assault; heist; harassment; criminal damage and threatening behavior, he pleaded not guilty to raping the young woman on August 16, 2019.

Wesley Roden, 33, of Warrington, yesterday pleaded not guilty to one charge of raping the young woman in the early morning of August 16, 2019.

The complainant and two friends drank vodka, beer and cider as they traveled from the north London outskirts to Charing Cross superclub Heaven, where one of the other girls is refused entry due to intoxication.

Subsequent police tests also revealed that the complainant had used cannabis, cocaine and ketamine and that her blood alcohol level would result in a “significant degree of intoxication”.

She got separated from her friends when they tried to sober up at McDonald’s and was caught on CCTV walking from Heaven into the small enclosed park around 2:40am with a mystery man, who was still being chased by police.

The art student gave a videotaped statement to police after she and a good Samaritan waved officers down, which was relayed to the jury.

“The snapshot I have in my head is lying on the grass in a park with a man on top of me and feeling pain around my hips,” explained the teenager, confirming that she has few memories of how she got there.

‘I remember lying on the grass and my underwear and stockings were around my ankles and my legs were up.

‘The first man, I don’t remember his face. I could feel him having sex with me and an ache in my hips.

‘It felt surreal and I want ten out of ten for drunk.

“I remember his body moving over me and sexual moans and him holding me in my arm and I have a bruise where he held me.

“I was knees up to my chest and I just wanted it to be over and I would pass out, I would get distracted.

‘Another man came up with a beard and said, “May I try?” and the first man says, “That’s a little weird” and then says, “Once I’m gone you can do whatever you want with her.”

‘The second man looked at me and saw that I would not do anything or stop him.

He was all over me and then he was gone. I woke up in the grass and realized everything that had happened.

“I was on the lawn and clicking in my head all the snapshots that were leading up and then I ran to the door and I was banging on the door and I told a man that I needed help and to call the police.

‘I don’t remember how I got to the park, I didn’t know where I was or where my friends were and I was scared and confused.’

Roden does not deny having unprotected sex with the young woman – confirmed via DNA – and immediately gave his version of events when police found him sleeping nearby the next day.

“He didn’t look well groomed, his clothes were disheveled,” the complainant told police.

‘When he said, ‘Can I try?’ She was thinking, “No, no, no,” but I don’t know if I said it. I felt like he was paralyzed.

The trial continues.