A man was accused of lying about being drugged and molested in a Cotswolds cottage because he was ‘ashamed’ of having consensual sex with another man.

The decorator claimed was he sexually assaulted by Luiz da Silva Neto in a property in Middle Barton, west Oxfordshire, last November after being handed a drug-laced drink.

The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons but was known to the defendant, was at the cottage to help da Silva Neto, 35, do renovation works, jurors heard.

He claimed they were drinking Jägermeister when he became drowsy and fell asleep clothed, but woke during the night to find himself naked and the other man performing a sex act on him.

READ MORE: Man accused of sexually assaulting two men

He remained at the house the following day, buying eggs and bacon for the defendant to make them breakfast before the pair spent the day sanding down wooden floors in the property.

Da Silva Neto, who is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting two men in November and December last year, denies all allegations against him.

Cross-examining the first alleged victim on Tuesday afternoon, defence barrister Merry van Woodenberg put her client’s version of events to the man.

“The truth of the matter is you were drinking with him and smoking cannabis,” she alleged.

The complainant, who told jurors he was heterosexual and had no sexual interest in other men, replied: “No, I didn’t smoke that night. Only he did.”

“You became aroused because you were watching pornography together – straight pornography, but pornography – and Luiz asked if you wanted [oral sex] and you said yes.” The complainant disagreed.

The barrister said: “The next day you regretted saying yes and you felt ashamed about it, as you’ve said.” He replied: “It’s not true.”

Ms van Woodenberg asked about a conversation the complainant admitted having with da Silva Neto’s partner. During that conversation, it was suggested, the alleged victim said the payment of money might ‘resolve things’.

“I’m going to put it squarely; you went to blackmail [da Silva Neto’s partner],” she said. No, he replied.

Later, putting her client’s case to the complainant, the barrister said: “I suggest you saw a way to make money out of this and so you did that knowing they were consensual whether you regretted it or not.

No, he said. “I wasn’t conscious.”

The complainant told jurors that the morning after the alleged sexual assault he saw a syringe in the kitchen and concluded he had been drugged.

READ MORE: Man accused of sexually assaulting two men

Asked by prosecutor Matthew Walsh why he had ‘acted as if everything was fine’, the man said: “In a way, I was scared.”

Da Silva Neto, of Riverlight Quay, Wandsworth, denies administering a substance with intent and engaging in penetrative sexual activity without consent with two men. He is accused of the rape and kidnap of the second man – yet to give evidence – against whom the defendant is accused of committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence.

The trial continues.

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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.  

To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @t_seaward