THE man accused of raping a prostitute in Southend said the alleged victim made the claims because he underpaid her.

Kye Lewis is standing trial for two counts of rape and one of theft relating to the same working girl.

He is accused of drawing a large machete-type weapon on the woman in his car when parked up in a cemetery in Southend, and then raping her vaginally and orally on the car bonnet.

Giving his evidence in the dock at Basildon Crown Court, the 20-year-old remained impassive and calm as he repeatedly denied the alleged victim's account of the events in July 2017.

Lewis claims the woman had agreed to have sex with him for a fee of £40 and that it had been carried out consensually against a tree in the cemetery.

But after the act took place and they had got back into his car he had underpaid her - only giving £20 - because he wasn't satisfied with the act.

He said: "It really wasn't all that.

"I told her it was rubbish, or in my terms at the time that it was s***.

"At that point she called me a waste of time.

"She got out of the car and came around to my driver's window and she chucked lots of verbal abuse at me, and I remember her walking away towards the roundabout nearby. Then I left."

The jury was also told a torn condom had been found at the scene with Lewis' DNA on it, which he claims she removed after the intercourse and before oral sex was had.

Lewis, of Archer Avenue, Southend, was repeatedly accused by prosecuting barrister Noel Casey of lying in his account, saying he had force himself upon the woman and that no agreement had been reached about sexual intercourse beforehand, as the woman only gave oral sex when she worked.

He answered "no" to all accusations, and added: "I wouldn't do that.

"What I'm saying is what happened."

The trial continues.