A student drug dealer who drove a Mercedes with a personalised registration number preyed on vulnerable teenagers after giving them lines of ecstasy, a court heard.

Northumbria University undergraduate Omar Sharif, 22, raped one girl while she was intoxicated and another 17-year-old who owed him money for drugs, Newcastle Crown Court was told.

The court heard that girl was later raped by another two men at a party in Sunderland, later telling police she was "smashed out of me face" on drugs.

The jury heard the geography student tried to get others, including his younger brother, to lie for him when police made inquiries into his offending.

Gavin Doig, prosecuting, said Sharif was "no ordinary student" and drove a Mercedes AMG Sport with the personal number plate S23HRF.

He dealt ecstasy and Mkat for money but also to young women who caught his eye, with a view to sexually abusing them, Mr Doig said.

The prosecution said: "He did this either whilst they were intoxicated on the drugs he had given them or when they were so fearful of him, or so dependent on the drugs he provided that he could act, so he thought, with impunity and he treated these teenage girls with complete disrespect."

His first victim was aged 18 when he sexually assaulted her in a bedroom at student accommodation in Sunderland after he gave her five or six lines of ecstasy, the court heard.

He is also charged with raping a vulnerable 17-year-old at a Travelodge in Sunderland after she sniffed what she told police was a "long line" of the class A drug.

The drug dealer did not ask for payment, Mr Doig said.

"Sharif had a motive in mind all right, but it wasn't money," the barrister said.

She did not consent after he pushed her on the bed, telling police she was "off her face", the court heard.

Mr Doig said: "She was in no fit state to consent.

"She is clear that had she been sober, in other words if she had not just taken class A drugs given to her by Sharif, she would not have had sex with him."

The girl had seen him with weapons and was scared of him so she did not immediately report him to police, Mr Doig said.

A third girl, who bought ecstasy from him, claimed she was raped by Sharif in his car, and later by two other men at a party hosted by Milagros Sanchez, 24, of Chester Road, Sunderland.

The 17-year-old owed Sharif money but he did not cut off her supply, the court heard.

He drove her to an isolated spot in Seaham, County Durham, and raped her twice in the back of his Mercedes, the court heard.

She said: "I felt like really uncomfortable, like I had to do it."

That girl was invited to a party at Sanchez's flat above a takeaway in June last year, and she was given free ecstasy from Sharif's supply, the court heard.

She said she was "wiped out" by the drugs and went to bed.

A friend said the girl's eyes were rolling around and she looked ill.

When her friend went to check on her she found Luke Richardson, 20, of Ponden Hill, Sunderland, getting dressed and the girl "stripped naked", the court heard.

He is accused of raping the girl in the bedroom after sexually assaulting her in the living room.

Georgi Karaboykov, 34, of Horatio Street, Sunderland, is then accused of going into the bedroom and raping her after finding her passed out on the bed.

Sanchez is accused of texting Karaboykov in Bulgarian earlier that day: "To let you know and make you happier, our guy has arranged two girls for now."

Karaboykov replied: "I'll be there."

The prosecution alleged Sharif arranged for the girl to be at the party.

Sanchez denies a charge of facilitating sexual exploitation.

The drug dealer's brother Amer, 19, of Brunton Terrace, Sunderland, is accused of perverting the course of justice by trying to get people to lie to the police to weaken their case.

Omar Sharif denies rape, sexual assault and drugs offences.

Richardson denies rape and sexual assault, saying what happened was consensual.

Karaboykov denies rape and sexual assault and also said what happened was consensual.

Amer Sharif denies perverting the course of justice, as does his brother.