A student was stalked by two men who attempted to rape her in a picturesque city park, a court has heard.

The young woman has told a jury how she was knocked to the ground and lost consciousness as her attackers pounced in Canterbury’s Dane John Gardens.

Her knickers were left ripped during the ordeal in May this year.

There, as she lay unconscious, student revellers ran to her aid, Canterbury Crown Court has heard.

The prosecution has alleged that her attackers were homeless cousins Samuel King and Damien Davey, who had travelled from Ashford.

Both men have pleaded not guilty to attempted rape, but 25-year-old King has admitted indecent assault, attempted robbery and having a knife in public.

Davey, 32, denies all the charges.

The court was told the student was followed into the Dane John Gardens after leaving The Cuban nightclub in Canterbury city centre.

A video of her police interview was played to the jury in which she said she could remember little after leaving the bar.

She told officers: “I don’t remember much about the incident, [other than] suddenly realising I was in a lot of trouble because I was pinned down and couldn’t move.”

Simon Taylor, prosecuting, alleged her head was banged on the ground until she lost consciousness.

She added: “I just remember thinking ‘you have to scream’. I was struggling to breathe properly. I don’t know if that was because he was banging my head but I was struggling to inhale.

“I think I remember thinking ‘Oh my God, he’s going to try and have sex with me’. I remember thinking ‘no,no,no, I really don’t want this to happen’,” she added.

The woman, who suffered a black eye and cuts and bruises to her head, lips and elbow, woke up to find a blonde woman offering her help.

Mr Taylor said that during the attack the woman’s knickers were ripped and she was later taken to hospital and treated.

The prosecutor told the jury how the student had gone to a cashpoint near McDonald’s restaurant in the High Street after 2am.

It was there – he alleged – that the two men spotted the woman and began following her.

The jury were shown CCTV of the woman walking through the city and into Dane John Gardens – described by Mr Taylor as “one of the city’s more secluded and darker places”.

Mr Taylor said that the woman’s screams were heard by students celebrating getting their degrees who went to help.

It was then Davey was confronted by passers-by going towards the sound of the screams, but he claimed he was chasing the attacker.

One of the students thought the woman on the ground was drunk and was “hysterical”.

The student asked her what had happened and she replied: “Guys smashed my head against the ground.”

Mr Taylor said two men were seen running away and one of the other students chased after Davey and confronted him.

“He asked him what was going on. Davey, who was behind King, replied ‘I just saw that man attack some girl earlier on in the park’, the prosecutor alleged.

Mr Taylor said Davey then admitted he had a weapon and was asked to put it down, but replied: “Not until I have found that c***,” before making off through nearby bushes.

After the two men were arrested, King told officers the two had travelled from Ashford to Canterbury and had bought a bottle of Scotch.

He gave an account which was contradicted by CCTV evidence and then said he had been with Davey in St George’s Street..

The prosecutor alleged King told officers how the two men had seen a drunken woman getting money from a cash machine.

He claimed Davey said to him: “That’s an earner,” explaining to officers it meant she was an easy target for money.

King claimed that Davey told him to follow her, which he was reluctant to do, but feared his cousin would hurt him if he did not.

The trial continues.