A TERRIFIED teenager was knocked to the ground and raped in an alleyway by a stranger as she walked home alone from an Essex nightclub, a court has heard.

A TERRIFIED teenager was knocked to the ground and raped in an alleyway by a stranger as she walked home alone from an Essex nightclub, a court has heard.

Paul Clare blocked the 16-year-old girl's path and knocked her to the ground before putting his hand over her mouth, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

When the frightened teenager tried to make a call on her mobile telephone he had kicked it out of her hand and had chased after her and raped her when she tried to escape, said Stephanie Farrimond prosecuting.

Yesterday, on the first day of Clare's trial, it was revealed that more than a decade ago he had appeared before a court in Australia after breaking into the home of a woman and hiding in a wardrobe armed with a knife.

When Clare was discovered on that occasion he had been wearing dark clothing and also had with him a vibrator, some sexual lubricant and condoms.

He subsequently appeared before a court in Australia in May 1992 for burglary.

Outlining the facts of the alleged rape of the 16-year-old girl in November 2004, Miss Farrimond suggested to the jury that the earlier incident in Australia showed that Clare did not have much regard for whether or not a woman was consenting to what he wanted.

Clare, 43, of Little Hallingbury, near Bishop Stortford denies rape.

The court heard the girl was approached by the defendant as she left Chicago's Nightclub in Braintree in the early hours of the morning.

Clare had offered to walk with the girl and had asked how old she was.

As they made their way along Millennium Alley near the Freeport Shopping Village, Clare had tried to kiss the girl and she had told him to get off her as he was too old.

He had then pushed or tripped her to the ground and put his hand over her mouth making it difficult for her to breath, said Miss Farrimond.

The frightened girl had tried to make a call on her mobile phone but Clare kicked it out of her hand.

She managed to break free but Clare gave chase and when he caught her she felt a blow to her back, which sent her sprawling to the ground.

He allegedly told her to pull down her trousers and said he would kill her if she told anyone what had happened to her.

He had then allegedly raped her before ordering her to move further down the alleyway but the girl had grabbed her trousers and ran to a friend's house.

When police arrived they found her in a distressed state and noticed she had injuries.

During a search of the area where the alleged attack took place police officers found a discarded condom wrapper and the girl's phone.

They also found a sequin from one of her shoes which matched a sequin found in Clare's car, the court heard.

Police also spoke to a night porter at the nearby Express Holiday Inn who recalled a man with an Australian accent returning to the hotel in the early hours of the morning before checking out shortly afterwards.

Miss Farrimond said that a couple who lived near the footpath where the alleged attack took place recalled hearing a woman screaming on the night in question.

After his arrest Clare gave police a prepared statement in which he claimed he had consensual sexual intercourse with the girl after she came onto him.

He was medically examined and found to have scratch marks on his cheek and scratches and grazes on other parts of his body including one of his knees and on his arm and hand.

The trial continues.