Evans said alleged rape victim was no wilting flower

Former deputy speaker of the House of Commons Nigel Evans. Picture: PA

The MP, who denies a series of sex offences, told detectives he was “staggered” at being arrested and accused of rape, Preston Crown Court heard.

Evans is said to have raped the young man, then aged 22, following a dinner party at his home in Pendleton, Lancashire in March 2013.

Yesterday, the jury heard his answers to questions from detectives at Preston Police Station following his arrest on 4 May last year, five weeks after the alleged sexual assault.

Evans, 56, told officers: “Did I have sexual contact with him, the answer is yes. Was it non-consensual, the answer is no.”

The MP for Ribble Valley in Lancashire said that after his other guests left, they began “caressing and kissing” downstairs.

Evans said that when he went upstairs the young man said: “Should I follow you?” to which the MP said “Yes”, and they each took their own clothes off and had sex.

Evans told officers: “At what stage he thought what was going to happen was not consensual, I’m a bit mystified.

“Had he not wished to have any sexual contact with me he could have said so which he never did. He could have gone up to his own bed.

“He said: ‘Should I follow you in?’ And he did. He took his own clothes off. I did not lead him in or push him in or any of that.

“As far as I was concerned everything that occurred was consensual.”

Evans is alleged to have sexually assaulted seven young men on various dates between 2002 and last year by using his “powerful” political influence to take advantage of them.

He denies one rape, two indecent assaults and six sexual assaults.

Speaking about the alleged victim who he said followed him to bed, Evans told police: “We are not talking about a wilting flower here. We are talking about someone who is gay and knows I am gay.”

Later Evans said: “I mean this is part of the problem why am I sitting here. At no stage did he give me an indication that he was anything other than content to be with me in bed and having sex.”

Contemplating aloud whether the alleged victim was “incredibly shy” or if he was someone he knew would “never say no to him”, he told police: “[The alleged victim] can hold his own. I believe he is a person who wanted to have sex with me.”