Club toilet attendant on trial for rape (From Warrington Guardian)

53 Degrees toilet attendant on trial for rape

5:20pm Thursday 26th April 2012 in News

A TOILET attendant from a town centre bar is on trial for raping a mum-of-one after getting a taxi home with her.

Bright Ehrmwemma, aged 27, works in the toilets of the 53 Degrees bar on Bridge Street.

Warrington Crown Court heard on Tuesday how the Nigerian national, of Lovely Lane, Bewsey, befriended his alleged victim on October 23 last year.

The 22-year-old was on her own following an argument with her partner when she says Ehrmwemma offered to pay for a taxi.

Prosecuting, Kim Halsall said: “She said she was annoyed, that she had no money to get home.

“He told her that he had a sister and that it wouldn’t be safe for her to walk around on her own.

“This defendant befriended a woman with an ulterior motive in mind.”

The court heard that they got into a Hackney cab driven by Arfan Mehboob at around 4am.

He described how a black man and white woman were talking quietly but not touching.

Both got out at the victim’s address and Ehrmwemma was then seen walking off.

The woman attempted to call her boyfriend before using a key left under a paint pot to enter her home.

When undressing upstairs she heard the sound of footsteps and went downstairs to find ‘a black male’ standing in the dark.

She was then raped in her lounge before her attacker left, the court heard.

A hysterical call to her boyfriend was made before she rang the police.

She later declined a medical examination because she felt ‘dead inside’, according to Ms Halsall, who said there was no forensic evidence available.

But she added: “You can be sure it was this defendant who entered her house and raped her.”

On October 29 Ehrmwemma was stopped by police and gave a false name and address, which he claims was because of immigration issues.

The defendant wore a red and blue baseball cap and bomber jacket on the night of the attack.

He was arrested at home on November 13 after being seen in the town centre by police wearing similar clothing.

The defendant denies speaking to the victim or getting in the taxi.

CCTV images played in court show the two talking closely on several occasions before walking off towards the taxi rank together.

The trial continues.

l Editor's note. Thanks for the comments on this story however they have now been suspended. To answer some questions. It is standard practice to report trials throughout their duration - read our site or any other and they carry reports of trials on a very regular basis. Media covering trials can publish the names of defendants in sexual assault hearings but the names of victims are kept anonymous by the courts to protect their identity. For further clarity e-mail newsdesk@guardiangrp.co.uk.