Kevin O'Hare made the comments during the third day of the trial of Keith Burnside (37), from Rosemount Gardens, who denies raping the woman in the front passenger seat of his Peugeot 306 car at Sandbank Cottages in February 2000.

In his cross-examination of the complainant, Mr. O'Hare put it to her that, if her evidence was true, Burnside had "taken a hell of a chance" by driving her home after the alleged rape.

He also questioned how, in the confines of a small car, the defendant, according to the complainant, had pulled down both his own and her jeans and underwear and raped her.

The woman agreed that the defendant had not threatened her at any stage and said she had not shouted out at any stage during the alleged incident. She said she did not report the allegation to the police until July of last year because she wanted to block it out of her mind.

"I felt dirty and I felt ashamed and I just wanted to block it out of my mind", she said. "After this happened to me, I turned to drugs which meant the next year of my life was a blur. Nothing mattered to me, nothing at all", she added.

Mr. O'Hare put it to the complainant that the reason why she did not tell her parents or the police about the alleged rape immediately was "because it was a lie because this man never raped you; that would be the reason why you did not go to the police, because you knew it was a lie.

"I suggest to you he never raped you and your version of events is bizarre and incredible", he added.

The complainant replied: "That is your opinion".

Asked by Judge Desmond Marrinan Q.C. if, after the alleged rape, she went to her doctor "to see if you might be pregnant", the witness replied, "no".

The trial continues.