THE trial of a Llanelli man who denies raping three teenage girls has been told that DNA found on his boxer shorts when he was first arrested could have come from one of them.

Evidence from forensic scientists who examined the underwear was given on day three of the case against 22-year-old Dean Cleobury.

He is accused of raping a 16-year-old in the autumn of 2008 when she fell asleep in a spare bedroom at a house party in Loughor.

Cleobury, of Rhandir, Bynea, is further accused of raping a 16-year-old girl five years ago, and of raping a 15-year-old girl last summer when she was at Pembrey Country Park on a camping trip.

Jurors have been told that after Cleobury was charged with the Loughor party sex attack a short report about the case appeared in the Evening Post — and this triggered a complaint of rape by a second complainant.

This was a Loughor woman, now in her early 20s, who claimed to have been raped by the defendant some five years ago.

The third complainant in the case, the court has heard, was 15 when Cleobury, formerly of Culfor Road, Loughor, allegedly raped her in woodland last August when he was on bail.

Among witnesses called by the prosecution yesterday was Marian Stone, an expert in DNA profiling.

The forensic scientist agreed that when she was contacted by the police following the Loughor party she was given certain information about what was alleged to have happened.

Miss Stone was told that at 1.30am the 16-year-old complainant had consensual sex with her boyfriend in a bedroom at the house where the party was taking place.

Then, after the boyfriend left the room, the teenager woke sometime between 2.30am and 4am to find another male — allegedly Cleobury — having sex with her. Cleobury later denied any "sexual or physical" contact with the complainant, but stated that at 5pm the previous evening he had had sex with his then girlfriend before going to the party. Miss Stone said that in the course of her scientific investigation she was provided with a number of swabs so she could obtain DNA profiles of Cleobury, his alleged victim at the Loughor party and their respective partners.

When she examined Cleobury's boxer shorts, she found a mixture of DNA from three individuals, the court heard. Most of this DNA came from Cleobury and his then girlfriend.

But two "components" that could not have come from these two people were found to match the DNA profile of the 16-year-old who said she had woken up to find Cleobury raping her.

However, a forensic scientist called by the defence, Emma Lynch, warned of the danger of "overstating the significance" of the two components said to be attributable to the complainant.

Frank Phillips, defending, suggested DNA could have been transferred by a bathroom towel.

The case continues.