A Dublin woman told a jury yesterday that her Jamaican boyfriend, who had previously described himself as a "gigolo", raped her following a row over a party.
"He told me he had played the gigolo and I thought it was a musical instrument," the woman said.
The 35-year-old woman, who worked for a religious order, told the Central Criminal Court she had never had sex or a boyfriend before her two-month relationship with the accused.
He was unemployed when they met and she paid the £200 deposit and rent on a flat and bought the food. The accused convinced her that she should buy him a mobile phone as he said he had met a man who could ring him with offers of work. The phone bill was put in her name. On two of her pay-days, he arrived at her work and got money off her for going out, she said.
She was giving evidence to Ms Maureen Clark SC (with Mr Tom O'Connell), prosecuting, on the first day of the trial.
Earlier, Ms Clark had told the jury that the alleged victim had been a rather fragile woman who never had a boyfriend and lived with her mother.
Ms Clark said the woman had a rather dull life. While out with a friend in a bar "an exotic young man from Jamaica comes into her life" and tells her he liked quiet women.
"She is bowled over by this exotic flower and she gives him her phone number. Later when he rings her at work, she is teased and her friends have fun over his Jamaican accent.
"She is madly in love with him. She has her first sexual experience and is happy. There is no question of rape or being deflowered at this stage.
"As the weeks go by, she sells her £800 motorbike and she buys a stereo and other things to make up their new home," said Ms Clark.
The 29-year-old accused man has pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and anal rape at the city centre apartment they shared on August 25th, 1996. He has also pleaded not guilty to assaulting her, occasioning actual bodily harm on the night of August 24th, 1996.
He has pleaded guilty to a fourth charge of assault, by biting her on the back, in September 1996.
The alleged victim said that within a fortnight of the meeting in a bar she moved out into a flat with him. She paid for everything and was very happy. She said she was looking forward to showing him off at the party she was attending on August 24th, 1996.
During the day she was at work and he rang to say he was bringing two people he had met in Temple Bar back to the flat for a meal. He asked her to come to the flat after her work.
The woman said she was not happy with this and when she went back to the flat, her boyfriend and his friends were "jumping around" and the music on the stereo was being played very loudly. There were pots and pans everywhere.
They all drove to the party but the accused became upset at her inability to give clear directions to the driver.
At the party she ordered two drinks but her boyfriend poured them down the sink and demanded they leave.
She claimed that when they got home he threw her on the ground and she banged her head. He also grabbed her by the throat and took £80 from her purse before leaving with a friend.
She said he returned after about two hours and had drink taken.
He forced her to strip and had sex with her against her will. At one stage, he shouted out the window on to the street "rape, rape", and said to her: "See? No one is listening."
Immediately afterwards he had anal sex with her. In the bathroom later he urinated in a small sink and then urinated on her. The trial continues.