A MAN accused of tying up, raping and assaulting a woman has denied the offences ever took place.

Giving evidence at Bournemouth Crown Court, Thomas Old, 24, said he had never hit the alleged victim, nor used any sexual violence towards her.

Questioned by his counsel, Nicholas Cotter, Old denied all the claims of the alleged victim - that he had gagged and bound her with dressing gown cords, hit her and dragged her by her hair, and raped her several times.

He also denied preventing her from leaving the flat in Bournemouth where the incidents are said to have taken place.

He admitted that there might have been "pushing and shoving" during an argument, but said he had never struck her with his hands, and that rape was something he "would never do".

The jury heard Old had been convicted of an attack on another woman in 2013.

She had been stripped naked, bound and gagged. He had admitted beating the victim repeatedly around the head and strangling her into unconsciousness.

Yesterday, Old said he felt "ashamed" of these actions, that he had been taking steroids at the time which had changed his personality.

He said he had felt guilty for the assault immediately afterwards, however prosecutor Adam Feest asked why he had then not admitted the offence until the second day of the trial.

Old said: "Pleading guilty in court and regretting what you have done are different things."

Cross-examining the defendant, Mr Feest said: "Stripping naked, tying up, assaulting, is that the sort of thing you do?

"Is that how you think women should be treated?"

Old denied this.

The defendant, formerly of Shaftesbury Road in Queens Park, Bournemouth, denies five counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, one of common assault, three of rape, one of attempted rape, one of false imprisonment and one of assault by penetration.

The trial continues.