A WINCHESTER man targeted a young woman while she was on a night out, leading her back to his flat by the waist and then raping her, a trial has heard.

Winchester Crown Court was told today how Carlos Silva attacked his victim in his City Road home on the night of September 20, 2013, after she left friends to visit a kebab shop near the Theatre Royal.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said the 48-year-old sat next to her as she ate a burger, striking up a conversation that made her feel uncomfortable.

When she rose to leave he propelled her along the pavement towards his flat.

The young woman rang a female friend as they walked, leaving a message that she should come and find her, and texted the word "help" to her boyfriend just before the attack.

"He had me round the waist and led me off," the victim said.

"He was directing me."

"In my head I was panicking, but didn't want to do anything to annoy him."

The young woman told how Silva, 48, took her up the stairs to his flat, told her to sit down, then raped her.

She said she wept during the attack: "I freaked out and closed my eyes.

"I was scared."

But she eventually managed to wriggle away from Silva and fled back onto the street.

She rang her boyfriend in tears, but her mobile phone then ran out of battery, leaving her to walk back to her house alone.

"I just wanted to get home," she added.

Silva denies rape.

Proceeding.