A man has gone on trial accused of raping two women after allegedly giving them a sedative which he claimed was ecstasy.

The accused man has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to the attacks at his Dublin home on July 2nd last year.

One of the women – a university student – has told the jury that she and her friend met the man at about 3am on a night out in Dublin.

She described him as a “smartly dressed and well spoken” foreign national who went by the name Michael.

She said he claimed to have the drug ecstasy back in his apartment and they got a taxi to his place where he offered them a tablet to split.

The State alleges this was not ecstasy but a sedative.

The 22-year-old says she fell asleep but awoke twice: once to find him having sex with her friend who appeared to be asleep and then again to find him naked and sexually assaulting her.

She said he was naked, aggressive and proceeded to rape her.

She said when she left she told him she would ring the guards and he did not follow them.