A man in his 40s has been charged with several offenses, including two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault, after allegedly tasering, raping, and beating his ex-partner. The accused cannot be identified to protect the identity of the woman.
Police were alerted on August 14 when hospital staff at the Ulster Hospital reported that the woman had presented with significant injuries. She told officers that her ex-partner, who was also at the hospital, had caused the injuries. According to the woman's statement, she was asleep when she awoke to find the defendant in her room. She reported that he had broken into her home and was holding a taser. She alleged that he physically assaulted her, attacked her with the taser, threatened to kill her, and raped her twice.
During the incident, the woman reported that the man covered her mouth with his hand before the assaults. While taking her to the hospital, the defendant allegedly stopped the car and discarded the taser, which has since been recovered by police. The woman sustained injuries including a broken nose and bruising to her face and neck.
The man was arrested at the hospital. He reportedly provided a statement admitting to entering the house but denying the offenses, claiming the encounters were consensual. However, he was unable to explain the injuries the woman sustained.
The court heard that the man had visited the woman's house on two prior occasions, once with a baseball bat, but these incidents were reportedly marked as domestic. The case was heard at a special court sitting at Lisburn Magistrates' Court.