A police officer showed a background check before raping a stranger near the road

Special Constable Paul Hoyle is believed to have carried out the night-time roadside attack after stealing the woman’s phone after making “inappropriate” contact with her in July.

A 40-year-old man from Essex claims the consensual activity was “no fuss” after he and a friend approached the woman in Shropshire in July.

Opening the Crown case against Hoile at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Wednesday, prosecutor Caroline Goodwin KC said the officer was in the area and was drunk.

Of the alleged victim, who cannot be identified, the prosecutor said: “She was left confused, upset… emotionally distraught.

“But in the moments afterward, when she thought about what had happened, she had enough about her that despite the​​​​​​deeply personal nature of these attacks, she immediately filed a complaint.”

At the time of the alleged offences, the court heard, Hoyle was a special constable with the Met but was off duty.

Prosecutors say Hoyle abused and “hid” behind his police powers in a conversation with the woman as she prepared to drive away from him and his friend.

KC Crown added: “In to drinkhe acted like he was in charge, like a cop…questioning her about her (driver’s) license.

“She asked him for his warrant card and he showed it – he had his thumb over his name.”

The court heard that the alleged victim then began to Google the special constable’s powers and the information Hoyle had given her, and then he asked for her name, which she confirmed.

The jury of seven men and five women was told the woman left after ordering a taxi.

Ms Goodwin said of Hoyle: “He followed her down the road. He was drunk and you will hear her say that she thought he was capable of anything.’

Hoyle is alleged to have said the complainant would have “more trouble” if she hit him before she “did what he wanted” despite being sick.

The jury was told Hoyle was questioned after his arrest and told officers he had had a lot of drinks, including about five double vodkas.

According to his account, Hoyle engaged the woman in “general chat about sex” before she engaged in oral sex with him.

Hoyle, of The Chase, Banfleet, denies misconduct in public office, three counts of oral and anal rape and one count of forcing a person to have sex without consent.

The trial is ongoing and is expected to last about a week.