THERE was a lack of evidence to prove three men raped and sexually assaulted a woman with learning difficulties, a court was told.

Sulaimon Raji and Kayode Oni are accused of taking the 26-year-old woman to Oni's flat in Newark Crescent, Sneinton, on April 17 last year.

A jury at Nottingham Crown Court has heard that the woman, who has a below-average IQ, met Raji and Oni at a bus stop in the city centre and willingly got the bus with them to Oni's home.

The prosecution allege Raji twice raped the woman, and Oni twice raped and sexually assaulted her.

A third man, Morakinyo Obembe, is accused of sexually assaulting her.

All three deny the charges.

Cyril Ume, in mitigation for Raji, 29, of Bruce Street, Leicester, said forensic tests did not show any evidence of rape.

He said: "The Crown simply dismisses this out of hand.

"If it was rape, do you think the doctor would have failed to find even the least bit of evidence to demonstrate this?"

Elizabeth Lowe, mitigating for Oni, 30, said there had been "irreconcilable differences" in the evidence given to police and in court about Oni's involvement.

The court heard the victim told police Oni had raped and sexually assault her, but on giving evidence in court she only alleged he had sexually assaulted her.

Miss Lowe said: "She has given a series of inconsistent versions of events over a period of time.

"It's impossible to reconcile the two fundamentally differing events."

Summing up his case for Obembe, 29, of Hendon Rise, St Ann's, Robert Egbuna said his client accepted touching and kissing her, but with consent.

Mr Egbuna added that the woman had initially said only two men had sexually assaulted her, and claimed she may have confused Obembe as one of the other defendants.

Mr Egbuna said: "You have seen him in that witness box. If ever there was an example of someone seeking to tell the truth its Mr Obembe."

The case continues.