A male nurse accused of sexually abusing an 85-year-old woman during a house visit got "carried away", a trial has heard. 

Steven Hicks, from Woodley, denies the charges which allegedly occurred when he went to visit the pensioner's home after she had suffered a fall. 

The 60-year-old defendant, who is a registered NHS nurse, is accused of assaulting the woman after gaining entry to her home under false pretences.

At a trial at Reading Crown Court on Wednesday, the court heard Hicks showed up at her home wearing medical attire.

She invited him in, on the understanding that he was there to carry out a mobility check.

The woman alleges that, after she lay down on a bed, the man put his face against her private parts before sexually assaulting her.

This prompted the woman to push her assailant away.

The woman claimed the man apologised, claiming he had got "carried away". He then left the property.

Immediately afterwards, the woman called her son, and told him about the assault.

The woman's daughter-in-law testified before the trial today.

She told the court: "The situation that she [the complainant] found herself in ... I don't think I'll ever forget what went on."

Hicks' DNA was found on the woman's person, and he was subsequently arrested.

Police found that he had accessed the complainant's medical records on the day of the alleged attack, and that he had researched the incident online on January 10.

The defendant denies assaulting the woman, insisting that the DNA may have been transferred during a previous nursing visit.

Prosecuting barrister William Eaglestone said that, by the time forensic examiners saw the woman, a fortnight had passed since Hicks' last visit.

He told the jury of eight women and four men that it was unlikely Hicks' DNA had persisted that long.

This, the prosecution suggests, strongly implies that Hicks was the assailant.

The trial continues.