Uni assault accused 'sought cigarettes'

An asylum seeker accused of indecently assaulting a university student as she slept has told his Sydney trial he went to the woman's on-campus accommodation looking to buy cigarettes.

Daxchan Selvarajah, 24, allegedly ripped through a flyscreen door at the student's home at Macquarie University in the early hours of February 21, 2013, before molesting her in her bed.

The Sri Lankan, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of breaking and entering and indecently assaulting the young woman, admits being in the complainant's room but denies touching her under her pyjamas.

Selvarajah told Sydney District Court on Thursday he left his nearby residence in the early hours of February 21 to buy cigarettes from someone who he thought was Sri Lankan.

"I knew he was living in that building but I didn't know exactly which unit," he said.

"I had gotten addicted to smoking that many cigarettes, I could not stop.

"That's why I could not fall asleep."

Selvarajah said he went to the campus and knocked on the front door of the alleged victim's neighbour, to which there was no response.

He then went to the young woman's front door.

"If you went to the next door neighbour's unit and there was no response, why go next door?" asked crown prosecutor Peter Thompson.

"Because I was unaware in which unit they were living," Selvarajah replied.

Selvarajah said he then tried the back door of the next door neighbour, and checked to see if the windows of both units were open.

When asked by Mr Thompson why he did this, Selvarajah said it was because he thought all Sri Lankans kept their windows open.

"That's how it was in our unit all the time," he said.

"This is how we all do it."

Mr Thompson said this was "fanciful" and Selvarajah must have recognised by this stage that he couldn't locate his friend.

"You would have just kept trying until you found one with the window open?" Mr Thompson asked.

"I had in my mind that Sri Lankans were doing that and if the windows were open, then Sri Lankans would be there," Selvarajah responded.

The trial continues before Judge Sarah Huggett.