A woman has told a Royal Court trial that she felt “terrified” after escaping a man she said raped her when she was underage.
She is one of three now-adult women accusing Shay John Edward Bester (50) of sexual offences committed when they were teenagers.
Mr Bester is on trial in the Royal Court for nine counts of rape, three counts of procuring an act of gross indecency, three of unlawful sexual intercourse and one of assault.
He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges, which allegedly took place several decades ago.
Giving evidence through a video-taped police interview, the woman said: “I didn’t feel free. I felt bloody terrified.”
Speaking through tears, she said: “I just want him to pay… to protect other girls.
“I don’t want other girls to go through what I did.”
The woman added that she did not believe she had a choice to have sex with Mr Bester, stating “I don’t even think I knew what consent was”.
“When someone is older than you and they tell you what to do, then you just do it,” she said.
Opening the trial earlier this week, Crown Advocate Emma Hollywood said Mr Bester was a “predator” who took advantage of vulnerable teenagers.
Another woman appeared in court earlier this week alleging that Mr Bester had raped and assaulted her.
Outlining the defence’s case earlier this week, Advocate Olaf Blakeley said that his client thought all of the alleged incidents were consensual.
Commissioner Andrew Oldland is presiding over the jury trial, which started on Monday and is expected to last two weeks.
