Artist's impression of Geoffrey Holyoake in courtA CROSS-DRESSER drugged and sexually assaulted three Trowbridge women in a series of attacks, a court heard this week.

Geoffrey Holyoake, 53, of Vallis Road Frome, lured the women to his home where he performed sordid sex acts while dressed in a variety of costumes, Bristol Crown Court heard.

The three women, who cannot be named for legal reasons, met Holyoake around Trowbridge, including the The Malt House pub, formerly known as Zac's nightclub.

Ian Dixey, prosecuting, told the court Holyoake was a low-level drug dealer who preyed on vulnerable women from Trowbridge.

Mr Dixey said the defendant gave the women drugs which rendered them incapable of defending themselves.

Between June 2002 and July 2003 Holyoake allegedly took the women back to his home, a former cemetery caretaker's residence, and performed a series of sickening attacks.

He denies all the charges, claiming the women consented to sexual activity.

A 27-year-old woman from Trowbridge, who took the witness stand on Tuesday, told how she knew Holyoake from Zac's in Trowbridge.

In September 2002 she said he took her to his home to buy cannabis.

Speaking behind a screen she said she smoked what she thought was cannabis and began feeling sick.

"He said I looked pale and I should be taking vitamins, I pretended to take it and put it down my bra because I knew it wasn't a vitamin tablet," she said.

The woman said she had only a hazy recollection of events.

"I remember being laid on my back and I had stockings on," she said.

"He was on top of me and was having sex with me.

"We went to the bathroom but I can't remember how we got there. I think at that point he had stockings and suspenders on."

The woman said she did not find Holyoake attractive and told the jury, "I don't think I could have consented even if I had wanted to."

She woke again around 4am and waited for Holyoake to drive her home.

Defence barrister Mark Evans QC asked the woman if she was a dominatrix and said before the events the pair went to her house to pick up clothes, whips and a sex toy.

However she denied both these claims and said she didn't even have a computer.

A 34-year-old mother-of-one, who gave evidence on Wednesday, said Holyoake had offered to drive her to a friend's house from her Trowbridge home.

In July 2003 she took drugs given to her by Holyoake which made her feel incapacitated in a way she had never felt before.

She said he drove her to his fortress-like home where he subjected her to a series of horrendous assaults.

The woman said she began feeling giddy and sick but he told her "don't worry I'm not going to rape and pillage you."

She said: "The next thing I remember is waking up in a room which smelt like a doctor's surgery."

The woman said the room was covered with white paper and contained several homemade surgical instruments, including a squash ball with pins stuck in it.

Holyoake was wearing a blue boiler suit and had dressed the alleged victim in a school uniform.

She said he performed sex acts on her and she feared for her life after he ran a knife over her face.

He later pushed his thumbs so hard into her neck that she blacked out.

Holyoake denies three counts of false imprisonment, three counts of administering a noxious substance, five counts of indecent assault, one count of rape and two counts of attempted rape against three different women.

He also denies two counts of possession with intent to supply cannabis and amphetamines.