The jury in the case of a foreign farm worker accused of raping a university student in Falmouth has has been sent home for the day after failing to reach a verdict.

Judge Simon Carr had already told the jury that he would accept a majority decision as they had failed to come to a unanimous one after three hours. But by 3.15pm they had still not come to a decision and he sent them home to return to court for a 10am start tomorrow.

Davlatsho Davlatshoev, originally from Tajikistan but working at Lower Trevaskis Farm at Conor Downs near Hayle, has pleaded not guilty to allegedly raping the student in Falmouth's Church Street car park after allegedly pulling her there while she was badly inebriated.

Whilst being questioned, Davlatshoev, who was speaking through an interpretor, told the court that he "had absolutely no intention of having any sexual contact" and it was in fact the complainant that had initiated sexual activity between them and that on that night he'd had no intention other than to see new people and experience British culture.

He told the court that, due to being from a small village in Tajikistan, he'd "never seen that many drunk people in one place" as well as saying: "I was interested to see new people and see how they walk around."

"I was standing there with my friend and we were standing to look at the people.

"Everything was new and quite interesting for us.

"There's nothing like that in Tajikistan."

In CCTV footage shown to the court, Davlatshoev can be seen standing with a friend outside Club International before the complainant begins to talk to his friend.

Davlatshoev is then seen moving positions to the other side of the alleged victim, a movement he says was so that he could hear her better.

The footage then shows Davlatshoev and the alleged victim kissing, before leaving the area and heading towards the car park in which the incident is alleged to have occurred.

Davlatshoev told the court: "I could not hear what the girl was saying to my friend and I wanted to learn some English so I moved to the other side to hear her.

"It was quite shocking when I leaned forward to hear what she said and she started kissing me.

"Nothing like that has ever happened in my life."

The prosecution alleges that Davalatshoev took his victim across the road, down the tunnel to the car park, where he pushed her onto the ground by the bins where people usually went to urinate, and raped her.

He then allegedly walked away and gathered his friends from the group he had come with, before leaving.

Davalatshoev disputed this version of events, however, telling the court that he was the one that had been led out of the area outside Club International by the alleged victim and taken to the car park.

He said: "I was thinking that maybe she has a car, and I thought that this is what she wanted to do, sit in the car and talk to me."

Davalatshoev went on to claim that, once the two were in the car park, the alleged victim went on to kiss him again and that she was the one who then initiated sexual activity between them.

He said: "When she started the sexual act herself, what was I supposed to think?"

The trial continues.