A MAN accused of rape was "emotionally raw" after his mother committed suicide, a court heard.

Christopher Harwood, aged 34, of Tintern Avenue, Tonge Moor, allegedly raped two women, between 2006 and 2013.

Bolton Crown Court heard that he placed his second victim's head in a noose after revealing he had suicidal thoughts and told her he wanted her to know what it felt like. Harwood is also accused of raping his first victim at gunpoint.

Defence and prosecution barristers gave closing speeches at Bolton Crown Court yesterday, with Judge Timothy Clayson set to start his summing up today.

Stuart Denney, defending, said that the first rape victim had admitted to a drugs overdose and said her reason, that she did it to "seek attention", was worrying.

He added that Harwood's mother had committed suicide and said: "By 2006, both the victim and the defendant were for various reasons emotionally raw."

Mr Denney questioned why the first victim had not mentioned being raped when she reported Harwood the first attack at the time.

She instead said he had assaulted her, and explained the omission of the rape by saying she was afraid.

Mr Denney urged the jury to discount the emotion rape cases involve and reach their verdict based purely on evidence.

Speaking of the hanging, Neil Fryman, prosecuting, told the jury: "When you heard about it you may have thought how on earth could somebody do something like that to somebody else? Truth is often stranger than fiction.

"What happened was something which the victim will never forget and perhaps you will never forget."

The first set of sexual allegations against Harwood were dropped after the woman retracted her complaint.

But the case was reopened after the second woman came forward in August, 2013 alleging Harwood had raped her and made threats to kill her.

Harwood denies five counts of rape, attempted rape, two counts of making threats to kill and one count of possessing a firearm while committing rape.

The trial continues.