IBRAHIM Gediklioglu lied to police to try to escape custody because he was so sure of his innocence of an attempted kidnapping in Old Town, a court heard.

The 24-year-old was arrested on March 21 after a woman returning home from work at a Wood Street bar reported a man jumping out of his car and grabbing her in Victoria Road in the early hours.

After returning to Swindon from his work in Cirencester shortly after 2am, Gediklioglu told police he had eaten some chicken with a colleague before dropping them off and making his way home.

But after CCTV footage was produced of his blue Passat making four passes around Wood Street between 3am and 4am, Gediklioglu changed his story.

He admitted speaking to the woman, who was waiting for her boyfriend at the time, but said he had thought she was a prostitute.

“I went to Tennessee Chicken to get some food for myself,” he told the court. “I was thinking about going to a club but was not certain about it.

“Sometimes I go on my own and meet people in the club, so I was looking to see if it was busy.”

Gediklioglu said he ate his chicken alone at the taxi rank by the Sir Daniel Arms before returning to Old Town to see if Suju was getting busy that night.

“I wanted to drive around for a bit to see Old Town and Wood Street,” he said.

“I think about the second or third time I drove round I saw a lady standing on her own, and I thought she might need some help or be looking for some company.

“I thought she might be a prostitute looking for some custom. I wanted to find out what she was doing so I slowed down. When she told me she was fine I drove off.”

He said Suju was no busier so he decided to head home and saw a woman near Mr Cod in Victoria Road.

He approached and realised it was the same woman. She told him to go away and he drove off.

Jeremy Lynn, defending Gediklioglu, asked him why he had lied to the police in interview.

“I did not ask for a solicitor because I did not do anything wrong and they must have got the wrong person,” he replied.

“I thought because they were looking for one person, if I said there was someone else in the car with me they would let me go. When they said they had CCTV I thought this is getting really serious and I should tell them what happened as exactly and truly as possible.”

Mr Lynn questioned the identification of Gediklioglu after the victim said her attacker was wearing white plimsolls, while the shoes Gediklioglu claimed to have been wearing were dark blue trainers.

Swindon Crown Court also heard a statement from taxi driver Glen Beaumont-Farrell, who reported Gediklioglu’s Passat acting suspiciously that night to his control room.

“I did not believe the car to be a taxi, but it was hanging around for over an hour in different locations around Swindon,” his statement read.

Gediklioglu, of Grange Park, denies one count of attempted kidnap. The trial continues.