A FORMER yacht club committee member accused of rape had a private chat with the alleged victim’s friend moments after he is said to have attacked her.

Michael Mayhew, 48, raped the 17-year-old in the downstairs toilet at his home following a meal at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club on August 15, 2008, a court has heard.

Winchester Crown Court was told Mayhew, a sailing instructor, had invited the teenager and two of her friends to his house for drinks at around 11.30pm.

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One of the alleged victim’s friends, who can not be named for legal reasons, said Mayhew and the girl disappeared for up to ten minutes after he had poured them drinks in his kitchen.

She said: “The utility door opened quite fast and she walked out and made no eye contact with me or my friend.

She just grabbed her handbag and walked out of the house leaving the front door open.

We shouted after her but she didn’t respond.

“He came out almost immediately after. We were in a state of shock and not expecting her to storm off. I asked Michael what had happened.

He looked confused and not quite sure what had just happened.

He didn’t say much and was scratching his chin.

He was speechless.”

The witness then told the court she was asked to leave the kitchen by Mayhew while he had a private ten-minute chat with the third teenage girl.

She added: “I don’t know what was said. I have never had an explanation from Mike as to what happened.”

The court heard from several witnesses that Mayhew and the 17-year-old had been dancing provocatively and flirting with each other earlier in the evening.

A former boyfriend of the alleged victim, who also can not be named for legal reasons, told the court he had picked up his girlfriend shortly after the rape is said to have taken place.

He said: “She was sobbing uncontrollably and very distraught.

I asked her if she had been raped and she nodded.”

Mayhew, of Princess Royal Close, Lymington denies a charge of rape.

Proceeding