Dylan Sims, a 20-year-old from St Mary’s in Wantage, appeared at Oxford Crown Court to face trial on charges involving three counts of rape and one count of assault by penetration. These incidents are alleged to have occurred between May and December in 2021, with an additional charge reported on July 28, 2022.
The case involves two alleged victims who came forward after realizing their similar experiences upon becoming friends. A jury of twelve has been tasked with determining whether the reported encounters between Sims and the two women were consensual.
In the trial’s opening statement, prosecutor Sophie Quinton-Carter asked the jury to consider that consent requires a person to have freedom and capability to make a choice. The trial is scheduled to last six days and commenced with the presentation of police interview recordings with the first alleged victim.
The first victim recounted meeting Sims in May 2021 at a retail store in Wantage, where they worked together. She described a late-night encounter where he allegedly coerced her into an alleyway, resisting his advances, but ultimately submitting. She noted that after this initial incident, she continued to associate with Sims, who supplied her with cannabis, as she struggled to reconcile her feelings about the encounter.
Further incidents were reported, including an alleged assault on a park bench in Wantage, where she claimed Sims ignored her pleas to stop due to pain. The testimony of a second alleged victim was also shared, describing an encounter where Sims allegedly assaulted her while she was asleep, following a social visit during which he supplied cocaine.
Upon his arrest in August 2023, Sims denied all allegations, claiming he never had sexual relations with the women or met with them. The legal proceedings are ongoing.
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