A Nigerian student on trial accused of a sexual assault told a jury he and the young woman were doing an African dance when they fell on to his bed and he accidentally ended up on top of her.

Babtunde Osiefa, who is studying business management at the University of Bradford, says his fellow student “jumped on him” while they performed the dance in his room.

When she told him to get off, his toenail became caught in her trousers, pulling them down.

“She believed I wanted to remove her pants. She was upset and she pulled up her leggings,” said Osiefa, who was assisted by an interpreter in the Yoruba language.

Osiefa, 30, denies sexually assaulting the student on February 26 last year. She says he fell to his knees after pulling down her leggings and abusing her, begging forgiveness for “the devil at work inside me”.

Osiefa told Bradford Crown Court yesterday the woman liked the way he performed a Nigerian dance. They danced together and she jumped on him, hugging him. They then fell on to his bed.

Judge Peter Benson invited Osiefa to come out of the witness box to demonstrate to the jury on his own trousers where his toenail became caught and how far the leggings were pulled down.

Osiefa, whose home address is Oak Court, Cann Hall Road, East London, said he rang for a taxi to take the woman home, but she left his flat.

He agreed he later sent her a text message saying: “I beg of you to forgive and forget, please.”

Cross-examined by Sophie Drake, barrister for the prosecution, Osiefa said he found the woman attractive but he did not try to kiss her or touch her inappropriately.

The jury was expected to retire to consider its verdict today.