A MAN accused of attempted rape and sexual touching has denied the offences, saying he had ‘no reason’ to go into the alleged victim’s bedroom.
Giving evidence in front of a jury on the third day of his Royal Court trial, Thomas Matthew Jackson said that the offences he is alleged to have committed were not in his nature and claimed the complainant was ‘confused’.
The 35-year-old denies two counts of sexual touching and one of attempted rape.
The prosecution argues that Mr Jackson climbed into the woman’s bed and touched her over her bra and through her underwear.
Recalling the night in question following cross-examination by Crown Advocate Matthew Maletroit, Mr Jackson said: ‘I have a vague memory of going outside to get air, as I felt sick.
‘I don’t know at what point I’ve gone outside but I came back and fell asleep on the sofa.
‘I had no reason to go in there [the victim’s bedroom]… I’m pretty sure that I didn’t go in there. I don’t have a clear memory of it.
‘I don’t remember going anywhere near the bedroom – I can’t be 100% sure. I had no reason to go in there.
‘It’s not in my nature to do something of that calibre. It’s definitely something I wouldn’t do.’
Asked by Advocate Maletroit why the woman would ‘go through the ordeal of giving evidence’ if the alleged incident hadn’t occurred, Mr Jackson responded: ‘She’s confused on what’s happening. I think she’s confused on what she remembers.’
Mr Jackson admitted he had been ‘extremely drunk’ on the night.
Advocate Allana Binnie asked Mr Jackson how drunk he was on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the most drunk.
Mr Jackson admitted that he was a ‘nine or ten’ by the end of the night, and that he had drunk more than five beers, as well as a glass of champagne.
The defendant claimed that he spent the majority of the evening downstairs in the house and went upstairs only to help carry the victim to the door of the bedroom and visit the upstairs toilet, where he said he spent around 15 to 20 minutes ‘looking at Facebook and watching TikTok videos’.
The trial continues.
