A MAN alleged to have crept into woman's home and raped her as she slept, believed she was "up for it", a court was told.

Steven George Mason denies raping the 34-year-old who is said to have initially thought that, in the dark, the man having sex with her was her partner.

Appearing at Teesside Crown Court yesterday, Mr Mason, who also pleads not guilty to a charge of trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence, said he had walked past the woman's house and struck up a conversation with her before following her inside and having sex on a settee.

He was asked by his barrister, Ian West, whether the woman consented to sex. He said that she did.

Mr Mason, 28, whose last address was at Windemere Road, Hartlepool, said: "I would not break into someone's house and rape them."

Asked whether the woman had said anything to him as he entered her house, he said: "She never said go away, or anything like that."

Afterwards, he went upstairs to the bathroom, but instead wandered into a bedroom where he was confronted by the complainant's partner who chased him out of the house.

Earlier, the court had heard evidence from ambulanceman Ken Swinbourne who said Mr Mason had told him that the woman was "up for it" and that she was screaming and making a lot of noise.

He said former heroin addict Mr Mason also told him he had been on drugs all day and had consumed "blow" and ecstasy.

PC Derek Wade, who was one of the officers who attended the scene on the evening of May 7, said he had been involved in arresting the complainant's partner for attacking the defendant who had a swollen eye, blood on his face and a cut lip.

The trial continues.