AN alleged rape victim sobbed in the witness box as it was put to her that sex with a former Worcester teacher was 'consensual' and she was 'confused'.

The woman, who cannot be identified, gave evidence without a screen at Worcester Crown Court today, sobbing on occasion as she was cross-examined. Michael Leydon, 61, who taught at Nunnery Wood High School in the 1980s, denies both rapes which are alleged to have taken place in 2014, one in Worcester.

The jury heard that the woman had been a patient at a psychiatric hospital and had suffered 'flashbacks' to childhood abuse. She accepted that she had thought about suicide.

Robert Tolhurst, for the defendant, put it to her that Leydon could not have lifted her legs in the way she described because of 'difficulties with his coordination' but she replied: "He's not that uncoordinated."

When asked why she had not raised the rapes at an earlier stage she said: "It's such a difficult subject to talk about."

Describing the aftermath of the alleged rape she said: "I could no longer bear him around me."

She said: "I was wandering around for ages and ages - I didn't know what to do." The woman told the jury after the first alleged rape the defendant had 'promised it wouldn't happen again'.

Mr Tolhurst said: "You were confused because you had been having flashbacks to what had happened to you as a child."

The complainant replied: "I had flashbacks but he did rape me."

She also said the childhood abuse she had suffered and the alleged rapes were 'separate' in her own mind. Mr Tolhurst suggested her motive for reporting the alleged rapes to police was because the defendant had recently married. However, she said she only reported it when she felt 'ready and strong enough' and added: "I needed him to be accountable for what he had done to me."

Prosecutor James Dunstan read out text messages the defendant had sent to the complainant in which he described his behaviour towards her as 'totally disgusting' which the prosecution say is a reference to rape. Leydon, now of Westleigh Gardens, Worthing, texted: "I did something disgusting as a result of drink, tablets and stress."

The trial continues.