The men deny sexually assaulting a teenager in a cemetery, a court heard

Two men have denied sexually assaulting a teenager in a churchyard in Cornwall, saying it was “completely consensual”. Calvin Rosevear, 40, from Mullion, and Joe Skewes, 40, from Helston, face six counts of sexual offenses between them against the woman, who was 19 at the time.

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 have pleaded not guilty to all charges against them for the alleged offenses which took place at St Michael’s Church in Helston in the early hours of July 9 last year. The fourth day of the trial heard a transcript of the defendants’ separate interviews with police following their arrest after the incident.

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During his interview, Rosevear said he and Skewes had been to the Beehive pub that evening and only had a beer and a dance before going outside to find a place to smoke. He said they went to the steps outside the Guildhall in the city and sat down to have a cigarette.

Rosevear claimed that was when she first met the complainant, who she said came up to them and started talking to them and being “very flirtatious”. He then claimed he asked if she wanted to have a threesome with him and Skewes and that she responded by saying “absolutely”, before texting her friends to let them know where she was going.

Afterwards, Rosevear said they all headed to St Michael’s Church for “a bit of privacy” as he said neither he nor Skewes lived nearby. When they got there, he said he and the complainant began kissing and “groping” before she helped him remove his shorts and removed his penis and gave him oral sex.

He claimed this only lasted a few minutes before a couple they had never met walked up to them and asked what was going on and if the woman was okay. Rosevear said in the police interview: “She seemed embarrassed and said she was fine.

“It was massively consensual, if it wasn’t I wouldn’t have done it. I’m a gentleman, I wouldn’t have forced them, I’ve always been that way. It was all yes and yes and yes, I didn’t think it would end up with me here, it was all supposed to be a bit of fun.”

Rosevear denied seeing the plaintiff fall earlier in the night due to drunkenness or that she was crying at any time. He told police that when she went to speak to him and Skewes on the steps outside the Guildhall, he was “sitting normally and speaking clearly to us”.

He added: “I’m not going home with a drunk girl, I don’t have to. I’m a good looking man, I can go on a few dates, I don’t have to be a stalker or anything. He didn’t push me away, it was consensual, we had a good time.

“All he had to do was walk up the steps, he didn’t have to come with us. She was absolutely fine walking up the steps, bubbly and flirty.”

Rosevear also denied masturbating in front of the complainant in the churchyard as she alleged. He said they established consent when she would have agreed to have a threesome.

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In a separate interview with police, Skewes also denied knowing the applicant prior to the evening of the alleged offence. He said he “couldn’t believe it” when she said yes to a threesome with him and Rosevear.

Skewes said that when they reached the churchyard, Rosevear went to lie down and the complainant began to perform oral sex on her. When she bent over, he said he climbed up behind her and put his fingers in her vagina and began touching her breasts.

He told police: “It was totally consensual, there was no doubt in my mind that he wanted to do this.

“She was enjoying it. We were having a little fun and then these people came and started yelling at us saying the police had been called like me and Calvin had done something seriously wrong. (The complainant) left saying it was fine as if she was ashamed.”

When asked about the moment they established their consent, Skewes said: “When you ask someone if they want a threesome and they say ‘yeah, I’ll text my friend to tell them where we’re going.’ If he had said no, we wouldn’t have done it, we wouldn’t have intended to prey on any young woman. I’m not sure why he says that.”

Skewes also denied seeing the applicant fall earlier in the night or cry at any time while they were together. He also denied that she said “no” three times, as well as her claim that he and Rosevear said they knew her friend and were going to take her to a party her friend was at.

The process continues…