A man stands accused of raping a woman in her sleep - and then claiming she dreamt it.

Haider Ali, 30, denies two counts of sexual assault and one of rape.

His alleged victim claims Ali waited until she fell asleep drunk after refusing his advances before attacking her, a jury heard.

“The defendant went over to where she was and began to kiss her.

“The victim stirred and pushed the defendant away, before falling back to sleep,” prosecutor Daniel Stevenson explained.

When she next woke, married Ali was reportedly groping her which she refused.

She next regained consciousness with Ali raping her during the April attack, the barrister told the jury.

“After a few minutes the victim came to and she became fully awake.

“She went into the kitchen and challenged the defendant, who denied that anything had happened.

“He suggested that she must have got undressed in her sleep, and that she had dreamt it," he said.

Canterbury Crown Court heard she shouted at Ali and kicked him out of her Herne Bay home, then sent him two texts.

“The first read: ‘Why did you do that’.

“The second read: ‘I woke up naked why? I told you ‘no’ Ali,’ ” Mr Stevenson explained.

Judge Catherine Brown heard the pair drunk a significant amount of wine and Ali, of St Andrews Close, Whitstable, was high on cocaine before the alleged assault.

Ali, who remained expressionless in the dock, is represented by Kieran Brand.

The defendant denies the charges and argues the woman consented.

Initially he denied to police there had been sexual contact, however, when DNA evidence proved otherwise, he said the sex was consensual.

The trial continues.

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