A Bristol student told police he thought a woman who accused him of rape had consented to sex.

Kevin Liew said he went with the woman, a fellow student, to her room, where they hugged and kissed, and he briefly had sex with her but stopped because it was unprotected and he thought she was tired.

It has been claimed that in March, Liew went into the woman's room and had sex with her as she slept before she awoke and punched him in the face to get him to stop.

But the 23-year-old animation student at the University of the West of England denies a charge of rape.

Yesterday a Bristol Crown Court jury was read a transcript of an interview Liew, of Crow Lane, Henbury, gave to police following his arrest in connection with the alleged incident.

The overseas student told police that after brief intercourse the woman told him "I trusted you" and he sat there speechless.

He said: "She looked upset and I said 'sorry'… I kept on apologising and she told me to leave in a sarcastic way.

"She gave me a very big smile, and punched me on the face. She asked me to leave her alone. When I went out I said I didn't mean to hurt her and did tell her I wouldn't hurt or harm her."

Liew told police that although he thought the woman had not rejected him, she had acted as if he had raped her.

Kenneth Bell, prosecuting, has told the court the complainant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had returned home from a night out at around 2am and fell asleep listening to a Harry Potter audio book.

He told the jury: "The next thing she can remember is waking up on her bed with the defendant on top of her.

"She used the words terrifying, confusing and scary.

"He kissed her on the lips and she could see it was Mr Liew."

The woman told the jury on the opening day of the trial that she "curled up in a corner and shook" after the incident.

She said: "Tears were streaming down my face and I wanted to shout but I thought he would kill me."

The woman absolutely denied suggestions from the defence that, on the night in question, she had consensual sex with Liew.

Yesterday both the woman's ex-fiance and her father, who also cannot be named, told the court how she contacted them in tears, saying she had been raped by Liew, and they came to support her.

A housemate of the woman said she was at home on the night in question and she heard no shouting or screaming.

The case continues at Bristol Crown Court.