A FEMALE student was said to be, “all over the place, and impaired” at a house party, shortly before she was allegedly raped on her return home, a court heard.

Witnesses present at the party, in Durham, were giving evidence on the fourth day of the trial of Alistair Cooke, who is accused of raping the woman three times in the early hours of Tuesday June 2, last year.

Durham Crown Court heard that the woman invited Mr Cooke to join her at the party, at a shared student house in High Wood View.

Jack Barnsdale, who was at the house, said both initially were sober, but, “became progressively drunker”.

Mr Barnsdale said the woman was more heavily affected and he told someone she seemed, “very drunk”.

He saw the pair kissing, although he was unaware who initiated it, but shortly afterwards the woman left.

“She looked like she was in a hurry and very upset,.”

He said she left alone, but, due to her condition, concerned party host Yagmur Altinoz followed to ensure she reached her home, elsewhere in the city, safely.

Mr Barnsdale said at this stage Mr Cooke was still at the party house, but a few minutes later he also left.

Another party-goer was fourth year student Sondre Bryntesen, a Norwegian, who said later in the evening the woman appeared off-balanced, with slurred speech.

Prosecuting counsel Shaun Dodds said: “So, you’re saying she was: ‘All over the place and impaired’?”

Mr Bryntesen agreed, and told the hearing that when he left with his girlfriend later, he spotted Mr Cooke at a coffee-stop nearby, talking to a church volunteer.

Coffee-stop helper Sam Hunt told the court she recalled speaking to a slightly agitated Mr Cooke, who told her that a girl he went to a party with had, “gone home with another male”.

The prosecution alleges that Mr Cooke then went to the woman’s shared house, where he is accused of raping her, in her bedroom.

Mr Cooke, 22, of Truro, in Cornwall, denies three counts of rape.

Proceeding.