An Afghan migrant accused of raping an autistic 14-year-old girl on a train thought she was older than 16 'because she had a drink in her hand and had make-up on', a court has heard.
Baryalai Rahimi, 25, allegedly raped the girl three times in the toilets of the South Eastern train before his friend Mirebadurahman Sadat, 29, assaulted her on February 5.
Rahimi, of Southall, west London, and Sadat, of Cricklewood, north-west London, deny a total of 20 charges, including multiple counts of sexual activity with a child.
The pair are said to have followed the teenager from a station in rural Kent to the London-bound train.
Jurors at Inner London Crown Court were told the girl felt she 'couldn't physically stand up and walk away from him'.
Rahimi, wearing a green tracksuit and using a Dari interpreter, told the court: 'When I looked at her at the first glance I thought she was 18 or 19 because she had a drink in her hand and she had make-up on.'
He added: 'I asked her how old she was, she said I'm over 16, meaning 17.'
Asked by his defence barrister Sebastian Cox whether the girl shared her true age, Rahimi said: 'Never.'
Baryalai Rahimi and Mirebadurahman Sadat are said to have spotted the runaway teenager at a station in rural Kent before following her on to the London-bound train
Mr Cox asked: 'When she told you she was 17 did you believe her?'
Rahimi replied: 'She was smoking vape... yes.'
He said he and Sadat had travelled to Kent to earn a driving licence.
'We have tried locally find ourselves jobs but we couldn't. Our teacher said to us that in the first instance we should try to obtain a driver's license,' he said, adding he first saw the girl on a Kent station platform.
'I didn't pay attention to her. I didn't notice her at first... I nearly collided with a lamppost. At this point she asked me if I was okay.'
'I was not drunk, I was high. I had taken a tablet. It was a painkiller as I had my nose broken.'
He also said he had smoked weed before he got on the train.
When the girl asked him if he was okay, he replied: 'Yes I am ok, thank you.'
Mr Cox asked him: 'Did say she'd run away from home?' 'No she didn't', he replied.
He added: 'The other thing is that she was travelling to London Friars, so obviously a minor wouldn't at that time of night.'
Thinking she might be cold, Rahimi said he offered her his jacket.
'I offered her my jacket saying if you feel cold I can offer you my jacket. I then removed my jacket and gave it to her.'
'Did you hug her?', asked Mr Cox 'I can't remember', said Rahimi
Mr Cox asked 'Did you kiss her while she was on the platform?'
'No', he replied.
The trial previously heard that DNA found on the girl's clothes 'probably' belonged to the two migrants.
Yesterday, jurors were played the victim's police interview in court.
She was asked what the other passengers on the busy Southeastern service were doing when she was allegedly targeted by the two men.
She replied: 'No one was really looking at us. Everyone was just on their phones.'
Forensic expert Kassandra Harris was questioned in court about DNA found on the teenager's clothes that allegedly belonged to the two men.
Mr Cox said: 'Sometimes cells shed from the body can be left on surfaces?'
Ms Harris replied: 'Correct.'
'And all it takes for there to be a DNA hit is a couple of cells on a surface picked up by a swab?' asked Mr Cox.
'Yes, you can take DNA from a few skin cells,' Ms Harris replied.
Mr Cox asked: 'So it is simply inconclusive whether or not that occurred?'
Ms Harris replied: 'Yes, you can't say whether or not it has.'
The barrister said: 'You cannot say that Mr Sadat's DNA is there can you?'
Ms Harris: 'I can say that my findings support the fact that his DNA was present.'
Following their arrest, Rahimi gave police a prepared interview, claiming: 'I asked the female her age and she told me she was 17 years old.
'She looked 17 to 18 years old, so I believed her. The female was the one who was very forward. What happened was all started and instigated by her and was consensual.'
Meanwhile, Sadat said: 'Although I have some memory issues, I did not do what I am accused of. I deny these offences.'
Rahimi denies three counts of rape, two of sexual assault, one of assault by penetration and six alternative counts of sexual activity with a child.
Sadat denies two counts of assault by penetration, two of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and four alternative counts of sexual activity with a child.
The trial continues.
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