Music teacher Aaron Hook accused of raping woman in her sleep referred to "blanket consent," jury told
A Sheffield music teacher has gone on trial accused of raping a woman in her sleep.
The complainant alleges she awoke feeling “groggy” and to find 35-year-old Aaron Hook having sex with her on more than one occasion.
But the defendant “considered he had what he himself referred to as ‘blanket consent’ to behave how he liked with her body whilst she was asleep,” jurors were told.
She and Mr Hook were known to each other at the time of the alleged offences, and had previously engaged in consensual sexual activity, Sheffield Crown Court heard.
Mr Hook denies raping the complainant, who is entitled to lifelong anonymity.
Opening the prosecution case to a jury of eight men and four women this morning (Monday, March 23, 2026), Helen Chapman said: “He considered he had what he himself referred to as ‘blanket consent’ to behave how he liked with her body whilst she was asleep.”
“I felt shocked about it,” the complainant said in a police interview, a video recording of which was played to the jury today.
Ms Chapman described how, after one of the alleged rapes, Mr Hook, of Singleton Road, Hillsborough, Sheffield, sent the complainant a series of messages.
The first allegedly showed an animation of a “hashtag,” while the second is said to have depicted a cartoon of a blanket, and the third and final message is said to have shown an animation of the word “consent” featuring characters from the Spongebob Squarepants children’s cartoon.
Mr Hook is also reported to have said the phrase “blanket consent” after one of the alleged rapes.
The jury were told that during a visit to a health clinic the complainant alleges a conversation with a nurse there resulted in her questioning Mr Hook’s conduct.
“He [the nurse] told her that was sexual assault, and it appears that was the first time she considered what had happened to her,” continued Ms Chapman.
The jury are set to hear live evidence from both the complainant and the sexual health clinic nurse during the course of the trial, which is listed to take around four days.
Ms Chapman suggested to jurors that the defence may go on to suggest that the conversation between the complainant and the nurse marked the beginning of “a plot” against Mr Hook.
“A plot to make up vicious lies that this defendant raped [the complainant],” Ms Chapman told the jury.
She added, however: “The prosecution say [the complainant] is telling the truth. And when she walked into that clinic it wasn’t the beginning of her plot.”
“None of this would have come out had it not been for the astute questioning of the nurse.”
Mr Hook was revealed to be a music teacher during the course of today’s evidence.
He denies raping the complainant.
Please note: Mr Hook was cleared of all charges he faced, when the jury returned unanimous not guilty verdicts on March 26, 2026.