Nicholas Crawshaw trial: accused told police 'I'm not a rapist'

Nicholas Crawshaw told police he was ‘not a rapist’ after being arrested for the second time on rape allegations, a court heard.

The 23-year-old also gave his side of events and said where sexual contact was involved it was always consensual.

Crawshaw, of West Street, Hoole, is charged with 16 sex offences, including 10 rapes, against seven victims between 2010 and 2015. He denies all charges.

Police video interviews with the defendant were read out during his trial at Warrington Crown Court on Tuesday (February 23).

The first questioning was in relation to the sixth complainant in the case.

She has alleged Crawshaw had raped her after they went back to his house following a night out at Rosie’s nightclub in Chester in June 2015.

The defendant said they took a taxi to his home because she had approached him and asked him for cocaine, but he did not want to give it to her inside the venue.

Crawshaw, who said they tried and failed to have consensual sex after they both snorted the drug, was asked to describe the attempt to have sex in as much detail as possible.

He said: “I was on top but it just wasn’t working. It was literally just a few seconds and it just wouldn’t work. We got back under the covers, she took a few selfies on her phone and we both snorted more cocaine.”

Crawshaw said the complainant might have accused him of rape ‘because she has a boyfriend and she doesn’t want him to know that she has been behind his back’.

Police then called him back in a week later after accusations were made against him by the seventh complainant.

Warrington Crown Court where the trial of Nicholas Crawshaw, of West Street, Hoole, is taking place

The woman alleged the 23-year-old raped her a number of times in one night at his house after a night out at The Live Rooms in Chester in June 2015.

Crawshaw said he invited her back to his house because she clearly ‘didn’t want to be’ at the venue.

They kissed on the walk home and this continued when they got inside.

Crawshaw and the alleged victim tried to have sex, but he could not because he had taken cocaine, the court heard.

The defendant said he then took viagra with the agreement of the complainant and they had sex four times through the night.

Crawshaw said he made an iPad recording of their conversation ‘for his own protection’. He said: “After everything I’ve been through I’m scared of having girls round. So I recorded her and me talking on the iPad in the morning.”

The interviewing officer put it to him the circumstances surrounding the two cases were similar and the defendant had taken advantage of the two women.

Crawshaw said: “I would never take advantage of anyone. I would never do anything like that. I’m not a rapist and I would never make someone do something they didn’t want to do.

“I’ve been brought up to respect females and that’s what I do. If you put a bible right in front of me right now I will swear on it.”

Crawshaw was next interviewed in relation to the accusations by the first complainant, who has said he sexually assaulted her twice in 2010 while she was still underage, and the second complainant, who has accused him of raping her in 2010 while she was a schoolgirl.

At this point he was spoken to at HMP Altcourse having already been charged.

The 23-year-old said he knew nothing about either of the alleged incidents.

The defendant also alleged Cheshire Police were not interested in investigating his side of the story.

This was denied by Detective Constable George Booth of the constabulary’s dedicated rape unit.

Crawshaw denies all charges against him.

The trial at Warrington Crown Court continues.