A tower block resident is accused of molesting a woman in a stairwell after spying her on the top floor of a town centre car park.

Dean Clark told detectives he had been approached by the woman in Brunel West car park on July 3, 2018. He claimed the woman said she was depressed, “just wanted some fun”, grabbed his hand and placed it on her bottom.

But prosecutor Nicholas Tucker yesterday dismissed the 33-year-old’s claims “simply incredible”, saying Clark’s account that he had gone into the car park in order to share a meal with a friend were lies.

Swindon man Clark is currently standing trial at Swindon Crown Court on five counts of sexual assault.

Opening the case for the Crown on Monday afternoon, Mr Tucker said the defendant’s alleged victim, 20s, had a history of mental health problems and had found the high top floors of open air car parks comforting places to be.

At around 7.20pm, July 3, CCTV showed her going into the Brunel West Car Park.

Clark’s flat in the David Murray John Tower looked out over the car park and he had previously called police about suspicious activity on the multi-storey’s top floor.

Mr Tucker told jurors: “It is the prosecution’s case that on the evening of July 3, 2018, Mr Clark happened to look out and see the complainant standing there on the roof of the car park. He decided to go down and approach her. She was alone and patently vulnerable.”

CCTV showed him leaving the DMJ Tower and walking through Wharf Green to the car park.

The prosecutor claimed he had approached the woman and made a pretence of looking for a man he said he had seen trying car doors. He tried to make conversation before telling her she was one of the most beautiful women he had seen in the town, jurors were told.

The woman – unsettled – was said to have walked back to the stairs but was followed. He put his hand down her leggings, it was claimed.

Clark was accused of asking if she had ever had sex with a stranger before pulling down her leggings and molesting her.

She managed to walk away. Mr Tucker said Clark had called after her and, when she look around, he had exposed himself.

He adjusted his clothing and walked towards her, put his hand down her top and also touched her, jurors heard.

The woman pulled up her leggings and walked away. CCTV showed Clark following, the prosecutor said.

Soon after, she dialled 999.

Clark, who had gone from the car park to buy food at Tesco, was swiftly arrested. In his interview he told detectives he had bumped into a friend he named only as Martin and who had invited him to share a takeaway meal on the roof of the car park.

They had chatted for a while before they were approached by a girl, police were told. She had been crying and she told him she was depressed and wanted some fun. She grabbed his hand and put it down her trousers but he had immediately pulled his hand away, he claimed.

Detectives were unable to trace Martin. Other than a general description, Clark could not give them any details about his friend.

Clark, of the David Murray John Tower, denies five counts of sexual assault. The trial, which is the first to be held under lockdown conditions at Swindon Crown Court, continues.