A MAN who allegedly drugged a woman on a train and took pictures of her private parts lied to an officer about his identity when arrested, a court has been told

Trevor Tarirah was questioned and said he was a surgeon at St Thomas's Hospital, in London, and said his name was Dr Terry Shaft.

The 31-year-old is accused of sexual assault, theft and two counts of voyeurism, alleged to have been committed on December 3, 2004, on a Virgin train bound for Darlington.

It is alleged he was in contact with a man in the US and that the pair were having an online competition involving obscene pictures of women.

Teesside Crown Court has already heard how he allegedly told the 21-year-old victim he was a cancer specialist and had treated the mother of US rapper Jay-Z in New York.

Yesterday, British Transport Police Detective Sergeant Alan Darlington said he had been working in plain clothes and boarded the train at York.

He said he became aware of the female complainant, who was swearing and staggering down the aisle of the train, then started shouting abuse and lunging at the train manager.

Det Sgt Darlington told the court he arrested the woman and arranged for officers to meet the train when it arrived in Darlington.

He said he was then approached by Mr Tarirah, who told him he was a friend of the girl's family and that her father worked in the media.

The officer said: "He said 'I am a surgeon at St Thomas's hospital' and that he was travelling to Manchester, that he had met up with her and was staying on the train to look after her and he said his name was Dr Terry Shaft."

Det Sgt Darlington said that when the train arrived at Darlington, he became concerned about Mr Tarirah, of Holmes Road, Earley, Reading, and asked him for his full name and address.

The victim's boyfriend, who met the train, told the officer he did not know Mr Tarirah.

The court heard that when the officer checked on police computers, there was no trace of the defendant's details.

The trial continues.