A TEENAGER grabbed a woman on the street before dragging her into a dark, secluded pathway and carrying out a ‘brutal’ assault in a bid to rape her, a court heard.

Cheikhouna Lo, of Hendred Street, Oxford, denies one count of attempted rape, one of assault by penetration and another of committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence.

As his trial at Oxford Crown Court began yesterday jurors were told how the 18-year old had left his alleged victim with numerous scratches and large bruising to her face during the late-night ordeal.

Outlining the case prosecutor Charles Ward-Jackson told the panel of seven men and five women how Lo and his alleged victim had both been on a Stagecoach-operated S8 bus travelling through Wantage on the night of June 11 this year.

Lo had got on the bus at Oxford on his way to a midnight shift at Sainsbury's, Wantage, where he worked as a cleaner, while his alleged victim boarded the bus at Abingdon.

When they both got off at Seesen Way, Wantage, Lo allegedly‘followed’ the woman who was 'tipsy' , prosecutors said, having drunk alcohol that night.

Lo then told the woman that he would order her a taxi home and began speaking in a foreign language on his mobile phone, the court heard.

Mr Ward-Jackson told jurors that this was a ruse, however, in a bid to carry out what he described as a 'brutal' attack in a bid to rape her.

He told the court: “He dragged her down a secluded pathway. She screamed for help, luckily there were people in the vicinity and motor cars clearly stopped and came to her assistance.

“The defendant gets away and was arrested a few days later.”

He added that the woman - a 27-year old who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared 'in a distressed state' when passers-by came to help her and said that she was 'unkempt' and had suffered injuries.

He said that when Lo was later arrested by police he told officers that his alleged victim had in fact invited him to her house and said that he was under the impression that she was ‘a prostitute’.

Mr Ward-Jackson continued: “[Lo] said he didn’t want to go with her because he would be late for work. He said she made a move on him, kissing him on his mouth.”

CCTV footage played to the court of the incident, from a BP garage, appeared to show Lo and the woman at a traffic island with her appearing unsteady on her feet.

The footage then shows Lo suddenly grab hold of his alleged victim, before carrying her off and out of view of the camera.

Explaining why he had picked her up and taken her, the court heard, Lo told police that it was to keep her safe because ‘he thought it was dangerous because of the traffic’.

The alleged victim also suffered numerous injuries as a result of the alleged attack, the court heard, and was examined by a specialist doctor days later.

Mr Ward-Jackson told jurors that the woman had suffered various scratches on her body as well as bruising and swelling to her face, which he said was a result of the attack and punches thrown by Lo.

Lo denies all three counts and the trial – expected to last three days, continues.