A WITNESS in a double rape trial told a jury he heard ‘shouting and screaming’ coming from the area of the alleged attacks.

John Carne told Burnley Crown Court he heard a female voice shout: ‘Leave me alone, get off me’, after he woke up at around 5.15am on June 10 last year.

Garry Carl Love, 25, of Market Street in Britannia, near Bacup, and Andrew Brendan Walsh, also 25, of The Ferns, Bacup, each deny one count of raping a 34-year-old woman.

Mr Carne estimated that the shouting came from the direction of Market Street in Britannia, ‘100 to 150 yards away’ from his home.

He said he also heard screaming, but could not be sure if it came from a man or woman.

Market Street has a junction with Old Lane, where the attacks are alleged to have happened.

Mr Carne told the court: “It sounded to be coming from Market Street.

“I went outside to see what it was. I expected them to walk past but I didn’t see anyone at all.

“There was a lot of swearing. I heard the girl say: ‘Leave me alone, get off me’. That was a female voice.

“I put it down to some people coming home from a club that had had a lot to drink and were acting the pig.”

Mr Carne went on to say that he heard the woman swear again and repeat the phrase ‘leave me alone’.

He said he did not think anything sinister had happened and went about his day as normal before he saw police near Old Lane later that day.

He told police that he had heard screaming and shouting, but did not give a formal statement until September 19, more than three months after the alleged incident.

Andrew Nuttall, defending Walsh, said that in that statement, the only phrases attributed to the woman by Mr Carne were: ‘Give over’ and a series of swear words.

Mr Nuttall asked him: “Why are you using different words today? Do you know the reason?”

Mr Carne replied: “No.”

The woman claims she was attacked in the early hours of June 10 last year after she travelled from Rawtenstall to Bacup in search of cocaine with Love and Walsh.

(Proceeding)