Men sexually assaulted teenage girl in churchyard after she broke up with friends, court heard

Two men told a drunk teenager they knew her friend and were taking her to a party before driving her to a cemetery and sexually assaulting her, a court heard. Calvin Rosevear, 39, from Mullion, and Joe Skewes, 39, from Helston, face six counts of sexual offenses against the woman between them.

Rosevear is charged with one count of rape in which he allegedly intentionally entered the teenager’s mouth with his penis and one count of sexual assault. Skewes is charged with three counts of sexual assault on the female and one count of penetrative assault.

Both deny all charges against them in relation to an incident which is alleged to have taken place in St Michael’s Churchyard, Helston, in the early hours of July 9, 2023. The trial opens today (Monday, June 24) at Truro Crown Court , prosecutor Jason Beal described how the woman, who was 19 at the time, had been on a night out with her friends and consumed a large amount of alcohol.

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At around 2am, she said she started to feel sick and decided she needed to leave the pub she was in to get some fresh air. When she went out with one of her friends, she didn’t feel much better and began to feel physically ill before falling and breaking one of her nails.

Mr Beal said that while the complainant and her friend were outside, they encountered the two defendants. He said the complainant did not know the men but was attracted to them because they were talking about another friend of hers.

She later described them to police as “brunette” and “blonde”. Mr Beal said the dark-haired man was Rosevear and the blond man was Skewes.

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The court then heard that the female friend who was with the alleged victim left her with Rosevear and Skewes, assuming she knew them, and returned to the pub. Mr Beal said Rosevear asked if the woman had ever had a threesome, to which she said no. Skewes also allegedly grabbed her breast and pulled her breast off the top.

In a video interview with police, which was shown to the jury, the complainant said she did not feel uncomfortable at the time because she believed her friend would be back soon and the defendants knew people she was with.

Rosevear and Skewes were heard then telling the complainant they knew another friend of hers who they said had left and gone to a house party nearby. In her intoxicated and confused state, the complainant said she was upset at the thought that her friend had left her, so she agreed to go with the defendants to the party to find her.

As she walked along the road, the complainant said Skewes “got hold of her” and at one point pulled her into an alley and began trying to kiss her. The complainant said she pushed him away and he laughed, telling her it would “never happen”.

Rosevear then allegedly took her hand and led her down the road as she could not walk straight. When they reached the entrance to St. Michael’s Church, the plaintiff asked where they were going, to which the defendants said they were taking her to her friend’s house party.

While in the churchyard, the complainant said she was drifting and passed out and said she felt tired so she wanted to sit on a bench. Skewes allegedly removed her breast and started kissing him, so he told her to get off her.

The complainant said Rosevear laid on the ground and told him he was tired. She then went to put her bag on the ground but the phone fell out of her hand and as she went to pick it up, Skewes allegedly came up behind her and grabbed her back so she fell onto Rosevear.

When she got up, Skewes grabbed her to kiss her again, and when the complainant pushed him away, she turned around and saw that Rosevear had unzipped her jeans and started masturbating.

The complainant said she didn’t know what to do at the time so she went to pick up her bag from the ground. As she bent over, she said Skewes reached up her skirt, pulled down her underwear and sexually assaulted her with his fingers.

The complainant said she then passed out and woke up with her face on Rosevear’s jeans. She claimed that he removed his penis and entered her mouth.

The court heard how a woman and her boyfriend, returning home after a night out, came across the scene in the churchyard and saw what was happening. At first they continued walking, but the woman sensed something was wrong with what she had seen and turned back.

When the woman and her boyfriend asked the defendants what was going on, they noticed she was crying, but she said they weren’t doing anything because she didn’t want to get in trouble.

The boyfriend told Rosevear and Skewes he would call the police and the woman then drove the complainant back to the pub to find her friends before taking a taxi home. It was heard that the complainant reported the incident to the police the following morning after telling her mother what had happened.

Mr Beal said on arrest Rosevear told police the complainant “wanted it” and he did not see her throw up or fall and she appeared to be speaking normally. He said they left together and ended up in St Michael’s courtyard, and while he claimed the complainant removed his penis and put it in his mouth.

Rosevear claimed it only took a few minutes before two people came over and she looked embarrassed. He said it was “largely consensual” and denied she was crying or that there was any reference to her friend or a party.

In a separate interview with police, Skewes said that when Rosevear asked the complainant if she would like a threesome, he “couldn’t believe it when she said yes”. He said there was a discussion about where they should go because none of the defendants lived nearby.

When they arrived in the churchyard, Skewes said he rubbed the complainant’s breasts and inserted his finger into her vagina. Skewes said at no point did the complainant tell them to get rid of her. He also said it was “totally consensual” and denied that he was crying or any reference to him taking her to a party.

The process continues.