A FORMER Newcastle United footballer was labelled a "sex pest" and a "predator" by a girl he allegedly went on to rape in a hotel, a court has heard.

Nile Ranger, 22, is accused of raping the girl after they had been out drinking together in Newcastle city centre.

The striker, who plays for Swindon Town, denies the charge that relates to an incident that took place in January last year.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that the pair met at the Empress bar, where he bought them drinks, but she was unable to remember anything else until she woke up naked in a hotel room the next day.

The jury was read a series of messages from the weeks prior to the incident that Ranger sent the alleged victim, often in the early hours of the morning.

In one exchange she said: "You're like a crazy sex pest animal let out of its cage on a monthly cycle." And in another: "You're a predator, can't deal with that ****."

She also referred to him as "Nile Ripper".

Giving evidence by video link, the girl said Ranger had been messaging her for over a year and she regularly told him that she had a boyfriend.

Toby Hedworth QC, defending, put it to her that the amount of contact between them showed she had been happy with messaging him.

"What is so difficult about not messaging someone back if you don't want to be messaging him?" he asked.

"You were perfectly happy to be his friend and sending messages to him."

But she said it was only ever friendship that she was interested in and said: "I'm point blank not attracted to Nile."

The case continues.