A WOMAN who claimed she was raped by two men in an Essex town took money from one of them before they had sex, a court has heard.

James Hore

A WOMAN who claimed she was raped by two men in an Essex town took money from one of them before they had sex, a court has heard.

The alleged victim met Jamoliddin Tulaganov and his friend in Chicago's nightclub in Chelmsford on January 14 and left with them in the early hours of the morning.

Chelmsford Crown Court has been told the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was raped by Tulaganov, who comes from Uzbekistan, and was living in the UK to improve his English.

The 23-year-old, of Byron Road, Chelmsford, yesterday gave evidence in his defence and told the jury he only had sex with the woman after agreeing to give her money.

The attack is alleged to have taken place in Central Park but Tulaganov said the woman hugged and kissed him and he had then counted out £10 notes to the sum of £40 when she said “enough”.

Speaking through an interpreter he told the court: “She said, 'give me money, then anything is possible.'

“She took money, took my hands and led me to a bench.”

Tulaganov, who worked at Strada Italian restaurant in Chelmsford, said the woman willingly had sex with him.

Kate Davey, defending, asked: “Did she say, 'no' at any stage, or 'stop' or anything like that?”

He replied: “No, she had not mentioned it, she was very happy then…when she took money from me she became even more happy.”

Miss Davey asked: “Did you use any force on her?”

“No, no, no,” the defendant replied.

“Or violence?” she asked.

“No,” Tulaganov said.

The court heard when his friend was arrested for rape, the defendant voluntarily went to the police station to see if he could help but was then himself arrested the following day.

Tulaganov has denied rape and anal rape on January 15 and sexual assault and common assault relating to a separate incident in the town on November 13 last year.

The jury is expected to go out to consider its verdict this week.

§ Nuriddin Shakhabutdinov, 22, of Byron Road, Chelmsford, pleaded guilty to rape on January 15 and sexual assault and common assault on November 13. He will be sentenced at the end of the trial.