A FORMER Swindon man is accused of raping three prostitutes he picked up in the town's red light district, a jury has been told.

Kristopher Searle drove the women to isolated spots where he beat them and forced them to carry out sex acts on him, it is alleged.

The 32-year-old is said to have kept one of the girls hostage overnight in his own home as he continually raped and beat her.

And while he was on bail for that incident he is accused of attacking two more girls he picked up from the Manchester Road area last summer.

Ian Lawrie, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how all three alleged victims were prostitutes who lived on the margins of mainstream society'.

The first girl, a 23-year-old heroin and crack cocaine addict, was picked up by Searle in his car on April 9 last year.

He told the jury of nine men and three women that she had been with Searle before, usually going back to his house for sex.

Instead he took her to a layby, Mr Lawrie said, which made her uneasy and they began to have sex after agreeing a price.

He said the girl was finding the sex was lasting too long and becoming painful so she asked him to stop.

The woman claimed he then turned violent, striking her and, despite her struggle, he raped her.

He then took her back to his bedsit in Deerhurst Way, Toothill, she said, and continued to rape and beat her.

But at one point during the night he left the room to make a cup of tea and the girl dialled 999 and briefly spoke to the police about her dilemma but could not direct them to where she was, the court heard.

In the morning Searle raped her again and then drove her into town and dropped her off, Mr Lawrie told the court.

She was outside Swindon magistrates' court later that day and by chance saw Searle there and told a policeman. who arrested him.

Searle was released and in the early hours of July 24 he picked up another vice-girl who claims she was raped in a Transit van.

The vehicle had been modified so that a bed, a chest of drawers and TV could be fitted in the back.

Again he agreed a price with the girl and drove her to a track off Oxford Road where she began to carry out a sex act on him.

But, she says, he then turned violent, punching her and he began to rape her. She managed to escape and ran to a road where she flagged down a car.

Later that night, Mr Lawrie said, Searle returned to Swindon and picked up another girl on County Road.

The girl said he demanded unprotected sex and when she refused he beat and raped her a number of times, knocking out one of her teeth.

When he was questioned later he said they had enjoyed consensual sex but she had banged her head.

He said he had picked up the first girl and taken her home, not to a layby, where they had consensual sex and she stayed the night, but they had disagreed over the price.

The second girl, he said, had tried to run away.

So he had grabbed her but she ran off, dropping the money as she went.

Searle, who gave the court an address in Newbury, Berks, denies eight counts of rape and one of kidnap.

The trial continues.