Woman raped and beaten claim

A WOMAN claims she was repeatedly beaten and then raped after being held captive in an Oldham town- centre flat.

The woman wept as she described being ambushed by two men when visiting a friend at the Victory Apartments, Union Street in March.

Manchester Crown Court was told that throughout her ordeal she was punched and kicked by Michael Parker (24), who made terrifying threats.

At one point the woman tried to run way but was hauled back inside and finally raped by Michael Cregan (21) in the dark and “miserable” flat.

The jury heard the pair believed her to be a drug-user and initially bullied and intimidated her into revealing her supplier.

The victim, in her forties, said she had given up drugs but they refused to believe her.

Cregan, of Raper Street, Oldham, declared: “Rapists are the scum of the earth. I would never rape any woman.”

But he admitted having sex with her, claiming to have paid her £10. He denied either himself or Parker being involved in any hostility.

He said they had gone to the apartments on March 7 after spending the afternoon drinking. Parker admitted being drunk, but Cregan claimed he was not.

The court had earlier heard the victim had been blasted with a fire extinguisher by Parker as she got out of a lift on the third floor, then grabbed and hauled out of the lift as he demanded that she obtain drugs for him, hitting and kicking her as he did.

Parker said he had gone to the building in the hope of buying cocaine but didn’t remember the extinguisher episode.

“There’s a lot I’m hazy about, but if I had assaulted her I would have remembered. Nothing untoward happened in that flat that night,” he said.

Both men plead not guilty to charges of false imprisonment and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Cregan is also charged with rape.

The case continues.