Peter Garrison, 21, is alleged to have raped two Preston women at their homes after "turning on the charm" and inviting himself to stay.

Preston Crown Court heard Garrison was alleged to have carried out three very similar attacks on the women, who do not know each other. He befriended them, inviting himself to stay at their homes, pushing himself on to them, pinning them down and raping them.

Each of the women made it clear to Garrison they did not want sex, but Richard Haworth, prosecuting, said Garrison, of Sparth Road, Clayton-le-Moors, ignored their pleas.

Mr Haworth told the court the first attack took place in Dalton-in-Furness in July 2006 after Garrison, who at the time worked for Safestyle UK, travelled to the town with a friend to meet up with two girls for a night out.

One of the girls, aged just 17, went back to the guest house where the men were staying, and was raped while Garrison's friend slept in the next bed, Mr Haworth added.

The girl reported the attack to police the following day, but the Crown Prosecution Service did not proceed with a prosecution until two years later when two women from Preston came forward with allegations of rape.

Mr Haworth said in each case Garrison had socialised with the women.
One was on a pre-arranged night out, in August 2008, where Garrison had asked to stay at the woman's flat, claiming he could not afford a taxi home.

The woman agreed to let him stay, stating clearly they were "just good friends".

But, after buying a Viagra-type tablet in the Adelphi pub, he told the woman he had taken it and went on to rape her in her own home, the court heard.

Two months later, Garrison met up with another young woman in Preston.

Mr Haworth said Garrison bought the woman drinks, but shortly after they arrived in Lava and Ignite in Church Street, the woman reported feeling more "out of it" than she would expect for the amount she had drunk.

The next thing she remembered was being at her flat in Avenham with Garrison, who again tried to charm her, kissing her and groping her before raping her.

He spent the night at the woman's flat and made a further attempt to rape her the following morning, the court was told, although the woman stopped him and threw him out of her home.

After each occasion Garrison acted as though nothing unusual had happened, texting the women and calling them "babe".

Neither of the women in Preston reported matters to the police until a mutual friend heard of the first woman's ordeal.

Garrison was arrested on October 30 2008 and admitted having sex with the women, but claimed they had consented.

He denies three counts of rape and one count of attempted rape.

However, Mr Haworth said the women had made it clear before and during the attacks that they did not want to have sex with him.

He said: "This defendant is reassuring, almost comforting at the start with his initial approaches, putting at ease, but moving forward."

He said the similarities between each of the attacks were akin to "lightning striking three times".

He said: "All three relate very similar accounts as to the process of being befriended, how he works away at them, how he reassures them.

"How he makes demands. 'can I stay the night?' 'I can't afford the taxi'.

"He offers them alcohol, he takes liberties, takes advantage, then after the event acts as if he has done nothing wrong."

The case continues

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