County Down teenager in court accused of rape

A County Down teenager appeared in court on Thursday, 28 December accused of raping a woman he allegedly assaulted and harassed.

Standing in the dock of Downpatrick Magistrates Court, 18-year-old Joel Francis John Noade confirmed his personal details and that he understood the six charges against him alleged to have been committed between 12 December 2021 and 4 February 2022.

Noade, from Malone Close in Downpatrick, faces two counts of common assault as well as single charges of rape, harassment, criminal damage and making a threat to damage property.

None of the alleged facts surrounding the charges were opened in court but during a short Preliminary enquiry, a prosecuting lawyer submitted there was a Prima Facie case against the alleged rapist which was conceded by defence counsel.

Noade, wearing a navy polo shirt and grey trousers, declined to exercise his rights to comment on the charges or to call evidence to the court on his own behalf.

Returning the case to Downpatrick Crown Court for trial but not fixing a date for the arraignment, District Judge Jonathan Connolly freed the teenager on his own bail of £250 with conditions not to speak to the alleged victim or any witness in the case.

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