A WOMAN has told a jury how she saw a ponytailed man fleeing from a park opposite her home after hearing a rape victim "groaning and sobbing".

Jennifer Smith, whose bedroom overlooks Gheluvelt Park in Barbourne, Worcester, was woken from her sleep by a voice outside.

A distraught woman was shouting "get away from me" before Miss Smith heard noises which sounded like sexual intercourse coming from a play area.

Then she saw a 6ft tall stocky man coming through a park gate on to Barbourne Lane.

"His hair was tied back in a ponytail with a white hairband," she told Worcester Crown Court yesterday.

It is alleged 28-year-old Richard Bawden raped a partygoer on her way home.

Bawden told police he probably had a ponytail and hairband on the day of the incident and had been in the park but left early, said William Rickarby, for the prosecution.

The victim was pounced on at around 11pm, thrown to the ground and subjected to a 10-minute ordeal in the dark on August 30, last year.

Bawden, who denies rape, had been drinking in the park with a friend, said Mr Rickarby. His DNA profile matched samples of semen taken from the victim.

Miss Smith described how she got out of bed and went to the window after hearing the woman for the first time.

She couldn't see anything but heard muffled sounds coming from the park.

"It sounded like the lady was trying to say something but someone had a hand over her mouth," she said.

"She was groaning in discomfort and sobbing. Then it went quiet and she said she just wanted to go home. She sounded very upset."

Miss Smith saw the man emerge at 11.22pm and turn towards the main road. She alerted police after advice from her mother.

The prosecution claims Bawden, of Hillside, Kempsey, made a phone call to his father to pick him up in Worcester city centre.

Forensic scientist Sally Gray said five swabs taken from the victim contained semen which matched Bawden's DNA profile. The probability of another man having the same profile was one in a billion.

Miss Gray told the jury the scientific evidence gave "extremely strong" support for concluding that the semen sample originated from Bawden.

The trial continues.