Workington rape trial: Accused denies 'egging' boys on

A boy accused of raping a 15-year-old girl with three of his friends has told a court she started the sexual contact and agreed to have sex with them.

The boy told Carlisle Crown Court he thought it was "weird" when she touched him and it was a "lie" the group "took turns" to rape her.

He also denied egging his friends on and said the girl approached them and was "slurring her words".

The boys, all under 16, deny attacking her in a Workington field on 3 January.

He told the court she initiated mild sexual contact with him and another boy before the group went to a field where she asked two of the group if they wanted to have sex.

Of the sexual contact that followed, the boy's barrister, Judith McCullough, asked: "Did you at any stage have sex against (the girl's) will?"

"No," he replied.

"Did you egg anybody else on to have sex with (the girl)?", Ms McCullough asked.

The boy responded: "No."

Under cross-examination, he admitted later deleting phone text exchanges, but insisted: "I do it on a regular basis."

The court heard he also sent a message - undeleted - to a co-accused which read: "You said all of our names in front of it."

Asked why he referred to the girl as "it", he said: "Because I just had sex in a field with someone I didn't know, and I wouldn't want anyone to know about it."

The trial continues.