A man accused of raping a lesbian “old enough to be his mother” yesterday told a jury he had no sexual interest in her.

Jonathan Ingham, 20, who pleads not guilty to rape, said he had a drink and smoke at the woman’s house but left after ten or 15 minutes, and insisted sex did not take place.

The prosecution has alleged at Bradford Crown Court that Ingham chatted to the middle-aged woman in a pub and walked her home on the pretence of wanting to see her pet cat.

But prosecutor Robert Elias alleges that once inside the house Ingham, who is said to have cerebral palsy, pushed the complainant on to a couch and raped her. She managed to kick him away but he allegedly told her not to tell anyone as he fled the house.

Yesterday, Ingham, who confessed to being an alcoholic, denied having any sexual conversation with the woman before walking her home.

Asked by his barrister, John Broadley, if he “fancied his chances”, he replied: “Not at all.”

Ingham denied using the cats as an excuse to go to the house and said he did not like them.

He denied pushing the woman backwards, pulling down her trousers and raping her. “I didn’t do any of that,” he said.

Cross-examined by Mr Elias, Ingham maintained the woman had kept telling him he was lovely in the pub, but denied she was chatting him up. “She was old enough to be your mum?” asked Mr Elias.

“Exactly. Why would I be interested?” replied the defendant.

“Did you think you were on a promise?” Mr Elias persisted. “I wouldn’t be interested, anyway,” Ingham said.

He refuted suggestions by the prosecutor that some might see a lesbian as a challenge and some might be flattered that an older woman took an interest.

“You thought your luck was in. This woman had had a bit to drink. You were in with a chance of a sexual encounter with her,” said Mr Elias.

“No, not at all. I wasn’t interested,” Ingham replied.

Ingham, of Carr Bottom Avenue, Wibsey, told the jury he had a serious medical condition, his right side was weaker and he favoured his left side. But he said it did not stop him having sex.

The trial continues.