An Armagh man accused of allegedly raping a woman he met in Belfast has been refused bail.
The application was made at the High Court by Barry Dullaghan.
The accused, with an address at Cathedral Road, is also charged with GBH with intent.
The 32-year-old’s lawyers challenged the account by the alleged injured party, his legal team insisting that sex had been consensual.
During the bail hearing today (Wednesday), the court heard claims that the woman had been sexually assaulted and stabbed last Friday, March 10.
She had claimed the two had met at a house party in Belfast and then travelled to Armagh, while Dullaghan’s defence claimed the two had travelled in a taxi to Armagh, which had been booked by a manager of the Holiday Inn Hotel, where they had gone after meeting at the train station on Great Victoria Street.
Counsel also argued that the two had communicated previously, despite the alleged victim saying they had met that evening for the first time and knowing him only as ‘Barry’.
A police witness confirmed to the court that the woman’s phone had still to be examined and further interviews had to conducted.
The bail application was opposed due to an alleged risk of interfering with witnesses, and adjourned by Mrs Justice Keegan to allow police more time to carry out their investigations.
