Man charged with rape, assault and taser attack after entering ex-partner’s home

Lisburn Magistrates' Court heard that a man in his 40s has been charged with two rapes, three sexual assaults, threats to kill, non-fatal strangulation, trespassing to commit rape and assaults causing actual bodily harm. A detective constable testified that staff at Ulster Hospital reported the woman’s injuries, which she said were inflicted by her ex-partner who broke into her home while she was asleep, wielding a taser and assaulting her.

She described being threatened, gagged and raped twice before the assailant abandoned the taser on a roadside and took her to the hospital, where he was detained. The defendant provided a prepared statement admitting entry but denying the offences, asserting everything was consensual, yet could not explain the injuries. District Judge Natasha Fitzsimmons denied bail, noting prior police encounters where the man had entered the property armed with a baseball bat and was only spoken to, and stating no bail conditions could mitigate the risk. A further hearing is set for 7 September via video link.