A RAPE suspect was identified as the father of his alleged victim s baby when the foetus was tested for DNA, a court heard this week. Gary Gibson, 31, of Cottonmill, St Albans had previously denied having intercourse with the woman. When told about the te

A RAPE suspect was identified as the father of his alleged victim's baby when the foetus was tested for DNA, a court heard this week.

Gary Gibson, 31, of Cottonmill, St Albans had previously denied having intercourse with the woman.

When told about the test he said "no comment" and he later alleged the sex at the woman's home on January 31 had been consensual.

St Albans Crown Court heard the alleged victim decided to have an abortion because of the way the baby was conceived.

Opening the case for the prosecution Jane Bickerstaff told the jury: "She had an abortion. She gave permission to the police to take away the foetus.

"Those tests show that the father of the child is the defendant Gary Gibson.

"He was arrested and interviewed by the police. He said he did not have sexual intercourse with her at all.

"He said it did not happen. He said he not had sexual intercourse with anyone for some months.

"At this point the interview was terminated and a new tape inserted. He was then told tests had been carried out which proved he had fathered the child. After that he said 'no comment' to anything that he was asked.

She said that Gibson had gone on to say that there was sexual intercourse between him and the woman but it wasn't rape.

The alleged victim tearfully gave evidence from behind a screen. She said Gibson and a woman friend had been drinking at her home on the evening of the offence.

All three had been smoking cigarettes and Gibson had allegedly been smoking skunk cannabis. The victim half-smoked a cigarette which her woman friend held for her while she went to the toilet.

She told the court that upon her return, she finished smoking the cigarette and started to feel "woozy legs like jelly".

She was violently sick several times before collapsing in a heap on the bathroom floor. She then fell asleep on the sofa and woke some time later to find her jogging bottoms and underwear around her ankles. Gibson was sexually assaulting her and then raped her while she punched and kicked him and shouted at him to leave her alone.

He warned her not to tell anyone and left. It wasn't until she discovered she was pregnant that she went to the police on February 15.

The case continues.