A TERRIFIED woman who was beaten up and raped in a car park stairwell 15 years ago told police she feared for her life.

The victim, who cannot be named, said she fought back desperately against her alleged attacker, a schoolboy.

But she was punched and kicked before being sexually assaulted and raped, Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday.

She had been returning to her car after a Christmas party, in December 1989, when she was pounced on in a multi-storey car park, near the Swallow Hotel, in Bridge Road, Stockton.

The court was told that the 27-year-old woman, from Middlesbrough, was dazed and bleeding following the late-night ordeal, which lasted for 20 minutes.

In a statement to police, read out to the jury, she said: "I pleaded with him, why are you doing this?

"He said: 'Shut up or you will make it worse.' I tried to fight back. I tried to grab his crotch to hurt him.

"He was punching me so hard I was not able to do anything. I was overpowered. I was terrified for my life.

"He kept saying I love you, I love you.

"The attack was vicious and the incident terrified me."

Former soldier Andrew Russell, 31, of Prenton, The Wirral, Merseyside, formerly of Stockton, is on trial for rape and attempted buggery.

The rape case was closed in 1991 after the police failed to find the attacker, despite extensive efforts, but it was re-opened last year under a Home Office initiative.

The prosecution told the jury that evidence was tested for DNA and revealed that the chance of Mr Russell, a labourer, not being the rapist was a one in 351 million.

In evidence, Kirsty Potter, a forensic scientist, said it was an extremely conservative evaluation, but if a full DNA profile of Mr Russell had been obtained, instead of a partial one, the figure would have been one in a billion chance.

The trial continues