Southampton student 'looked like she strangled man' from love bite on his neck, court heard

Imogen Brooke took a photo of the bruise the morning after the alleged incident took place and sent it to him, giving him "flashbacks of a fairly horrific incident".

The court heard that at the time she weighed 24 stone and gave him the "non consensual" love bite having "pinned" him down for sex before rolling off and going to sleep.

The bruise was said to have looked like she had "strangled" him.

The man, who weighs much less than Brooke, told the jury that the 15 minutes-long incident left him in shock and "staring at the wall".

Brooke denies causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent at her flat in Southampton.

The court has heard Brooke wouldn't take no for an answer and got on top of her helpless victim.

The "very drunk" 30-year-old allegedly ignored the protests of the man which were going "in one ear and out the other".

Read more: 'Very drunk' student forced man to have sex with her, court heard

Jurors have been told it is a "misconception" that the victims of sexual offences are always female.

Her alleged victim gave evidence remotely by video link and told the hearing he got flashbacks of the night during which Brooke got on top of him in bed before forcing him to have sex against his will.

He said: "I remember the entire night. I remember it because I can't get it out of my head."

The court heard she had taken a photo of him when he finally got to sleep and sent it to him on Facebook Messenger the next day.

The man said: "I found it difficult to sleep that morning. It took quite a while.

"I stared at the wall most of the night after she forced me to have sex."

He added: "I found a photo of me - of me asleep and a bruise on my neck. The bruise was from [Brooke].

"The mark to my neck came during the incident that took place in those early hours.

"She was biting my neck. It took place while she was on top of me, when she had me pinned on my back, she was biting my neck at the same time."

He denied being given the love bite consensually.

Imogen Brooke outside Southampton Crown Court. Picture: Solent News and Photo Agency (Image: Solent News and Photo Agency)

Southampton Crown Court heard the complainant had not mentioned the love bite in his original police complaint.

When questioned, he told jurors: "I remember everything apart from the biting - I just cover everything up in my head and keep it in.

"I remember everything on that night and going to sleep and waking up."

He said that after leaving her flat, he felt aggrieved and upset with her, adding: "But I buried it, I put it down to moving on.

"I put a face on, like I do when something bad happens in my life.

"I wasn't proud of [the love bite], no, not on the inside."

When asked whether the love bite brought back "flashbacks of a fairly horrific incident" he said it would have.

Messages between the two - who had originally met online - the following day showed that he had sent a voice note asking if she wanted to see the love bite she had given him.

In a voice note played to the court, Brooke said: "The picture I took last night looked horrific, like I strangled you.

"I’m never doing that to you again by the way. You liked it last night."

Defending Brooke, Audrey Archer argued there was no message from the complainant saying he didn’t like it or telling Brooke she shouldn’t have done it.

She also claimed the pair had kissed passionately when they first got back to Brooke's flat that night, and that was how the love bite had come about.

Ms Archer said: "Do you remember when you got back to Miss Brooke's flat, that the two of you sat on her bed and you kissed each other passionately causing that love-bite on your neck?"

"That's not what happened, I'm sure about that," he replied.

Brooke argues that there was consensual "snogging" where she gave him the love bite before the complainant fell asleep - and there was no sex that night.

Ms Archer continued: "That following day you had no cause to be upset with Miss Brooke because she hadn’t made you do anything against your will, had she?"

"She did," he answered.

The trial continues.

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