A MAN accused of raping two 16-year-old girls has given evidence at his trial.

Nathan John, of Richard John Road in Milford Haven, appeared at Swansea Crown Court charged with seven offences from alleged attacks on October 2, 2022, and May 16 this year.

The 19-year-old was accused of three offences of rape, two of sexual assault by penetration, one of sexual assault and of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent - all of which he denies.

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John told the jury that he had consensual sex with the first complainant, and said he started panicking afterwards as he had cheated on his girlfriend.

He said he had been drinking, and his level of drunkenness was “about six” out of ten.

“As far as you’re aware was that sexual intercourse consensual?,” asked defence counsel Jon Tarrant.

“100 per cent,” John said.

“How did it end?,” Mr Tarrant asked.

“I don’t exactly remember. It just broke off.” John said.

“I started panicking.

“I was wondering what my girlfriend at the time would think about me.”

John told the jury that the complainant then said that the sex was not consensual.

“How did that make you feel?,” asked Mr Tarrant.

“Scared. Overwhelmed, everything,” John said.

“I was on the floor crying for about five minutes.”

John admitted that he didn’t tell the truth in his first police interview, telling the jury this was: “because I was embarrassed talking about my sex life and sex in general in front of my mother” – who was present in the interview.

When asked about May 16 of this year, John said he had been drinking and described his level of drunkenness as “six or seven” out of 10

The jury heard that John had consensual sex with one girl “by the castle” in Haverfordwest, but denied that he acted aggressively during this.

He described himself as a “four” out of ten for drunkenness when he met the second complainant that evening.

John told the jury that the complainant initiated the sex. He denied penetrating her anus or  acting violently, and said there was no sign that the sex was not consensual.

He also denied having a knife on him and showing the complainant the knife.

The jury was shown footage of John’s arrest, in which he began shouting and making threats.

“I felt that I’ve done nothing wrong. I’ve been through that situation before and I didn’t want to go through it again,” he said when asked about his behaviour. “I got overwhelmed and angry.”

During cross-examination, when questioned by prosecutor James Hartson, John said that the complainants had “lied” about not consenting, and that the girl he had sex with by Haverfordwest Castle – who is not a complainant – was “a liar” for saying he acted violently.

“Are you telling this jury it’s coincidence that two girls have made allegations against you 19 months apart?,” Mr Hartson asked.

“Yes,” John replied.

John was played Ring doorbell footage from a house on Dew Street of the second complainant running past crying.

“Does that look like a girl who had just had consensual, enjoyable sex?,” Mr Hartson asked.

Mr Hartson asked John how the complainant ended up with a red mark on her face, to which the defendant said he didn’t know.

“You hit her didn’t you?,” Mr Hartson said, and John denied this.

The trial continues.