A 24-year-old man from Coventry has rejected claims that he sexually assaulted a woman at a barbershop in Warwickshire.
Jowad Haji, whose address was given as Park Street in Coventry, is alleged to have committed offences at Barberia in Stratford during January.
The charges relate to conduct that reportedly occurred in the rear area of the establishment.
At Warwick Crown Court, the defendant entered not guilty pleas to rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, assault by penetration and intentional strangulation connected to the alleged incident.
The court was told that Haji had been employed at the barbershop for approximately five months before the allegations arose.
According to the prosecution, he had offered the woman employment before the alleged assault occurred.
Prosecution counsel outlined that the defendant allegedly made physical contact with the woman and made remarks about her appearance prior to the alleged attack.
When questioned about whether he had proposed work to the woman at the premises, Haji told jurors that she possessed no barbering experience.
He stated that he lacked the authority to hire staff and would have been required to leave if he had done so.
The defendant, who emigrated from Kurdistan, told the court he has limited English proficiency.
When asked whether he could read business documentation or contractual terms, he responded that his reading ability was insufficient for such purposes.
Haji stated that the complainant had sent him a friend request on the social media application Snapchat, though he claimed he seldom accessed the platform and preferred communicating in person.
The defendant maintained that his interactions with the woman were amicable and developing positively prior to the alleged assault.
He denied massaging her, engaging in inappropriate contact or making advances during a subsequent visit to the premises, and contested the accuracy of claims that he had sexually assaulted her following a shoulder massage she provided.
Court proceedings were informed that Haji was taken into custody and questioned by police on February 14.
He provided his phone’s access code when the device was confiscated, although investigators located no relevant Snapchat communications connected to the complainant.
The hearing remains ongoing.