Oxford University medical student ‘raped female student following night out’

An Oxford University medical student told a woman, ‘This is one of those unfortunate things that happen’ after raping her following a party, a court heard today. 

Niall McPaul, 27, allegedly raped a student after they attended a US election party thrown by members of their university. 

The woman claims she woke to find McPaul raping her, after a night where she was ‘eight or nine’ out of 10 in terms of being drunk, having had a bottle and a half of wine.

She claims McPaul said, ‘Oh, no, this is really awkward’ moments after he assaulted her, before later texting her to say what had happened was, ‘inexcusable really.’ 

McPaul, who was 24 at the time of the alleged rape, met the woman through friends at a US election party which students had thrown, the court heard.

She told police they had stayed up all night to watch the US election.

Although she had told friends she thought McPaul was ‘attractive’, she had decided he was ‘off-limits’ under the terms of her open relationship with her boyfriend.

Explaining the open relationship to police, the woman said: ‘I was in an open relationship with my then boyfriend and we were not supposed to be involved with people in each other’s social circles.

‘He was away and we thought that would be a good opportunity to explore dating and sleeping with other people because we both wanted a bit more experience.

‘My boyfriend at the time time knew him [McPaul], so he was off limits.’

The pair met at another party when they kissed and later exchanged messages over Facebook messenger.

She said: ‘It was not a massive issue, it was just something stupid that I did. I was not going to do it again. My boyfriend was aware of it. He was not particularly angry or upset but he was just like, ‘do not do that again’.’

After a later meeting, the woman said McPaul stayed at her home and they ‘cuddled’ in bed. 

She told jurors: ‘It was late and probably quite cold outside and he lives a long way away. I had no reason not to let him in.

‘Although on some level I must have wanted that [sex with him], I do not think I would have, even when I have been very drunk I do not think I would have.

‘I went to sleep saying, “I am not going to have sex with you”.’

Prosecutor Matthew Walsh told Oxford Crown Court: ‘[McPaul] was on top of her and she came-to in a confused state.’ 

Under cross-examination, the complainant admitted she had been reminded of the alleged incident after reading an account written by another woman who claimed she had spent the night with the American actor and comedian Aziz Ansari.

She told the court: ‘It was something very specific in the news that jogged this memory.

‘I then remembered that when we were on the sofa he had been saying, ‘shall we go to your room’ and I was saying no we should not. He said something on the lines of, ‘if you prefer to do it here that is fine’.

‘I was quite confused and drunk and thought those were my two options: taking him to my room or go further with him on the sofa, which I obviously did not want to do.’

Eleanor Laws, representing McPaul, suggested the victim had engaged in consensual kissing and sexual touching. 

In her police interview, the complainant admitted she made a public Facebook post following the incident, which said: ‘Because of recent circumstances he [her boyfriend] would be disappointed in me.’

McPaul, from Oxford, denies one count of rape. The trial continues.