A gang of men spiked a 21-year-old woman's drink and repeatedly raped her, a court heard.

The attack allegedly took place after the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was out celebrating her 21st birthday at the Walkabout Bar, West Street, Brighton, in April last year.

Lewes Crown Court heard yesterday she had accepted a lift home with three men after she was told a friend would be unable to collect her.

She and another friend got into a car driven by Menghistu Bizabhu, 20, of Sackville Road, Hove.

Also in the car were Pedro Baptiste, 19, of St Michael's Place, Brighton, and Yafat Berhane, 18, of London.

Christine Laing, prosecuting, said they took the women back to Baptiste's basement flat in St Michael's Place, allegedly to wait for the alleged victim's friend.

There they were introduced to two other men, one of whom was Serge Agro, 24, of no fixed abode.

Miss Laing said the alleged victim claimed she became "woozy and dizzy" after drinking what she believed to be Southern Comfort and coke.

She said after a couple of hours in the flat the women asked if they could call a taxi to go home. But when the taxi arrived, one of the men pushed the victim's friend out of the door and locked it.

Miss Laing said the last memory the woman had of the night was of Bizabhu slapping her face and swearing at her before he held a knife to her throat.

She claims she then lost track of what was happening and when she woke up, about four hours later, she found her tights shredded and had stomach pains. The court heard she then informed police.

Condoms found later in the flat showed traces of the woman's DNA and the DNA of Bizabhu, Berhane and Agro. A medical examination also showed pressure marks, scratches, reddening and abrasions on her body.

The court heard after the victim had reported the incident it was alleged one of the defendants had tried to pervert the course of justice by offering her £200 to drop the accusations.

Bizabhu denies charges of rape, false imprisonment, assault and attempting to pervert the course of justice. Berhane denies charges of rape and false imprisonment.

Agro denies rape and false imprisonment and Baptiste denies a single charge of false imprisonment. The court heard Bizabhu, Berhane and Agro claimed the woman willingly performed sex acts with them.

All of them, including Baptiste, claim the woman willingly stayed at the flat and Berhane claims the woman instigated sex with him and when he went out to buy condoms he came back and found her having sex with Agro.

The trial continues.