A TWENTY-five-year-old man has appeared before a Carlisle court to face three rape allegations and several other charges, including an actual bodily harm assault, and making a threat to kill.

Appearing in the dock at the city’s Rickergate court, Joseph Buckley declined to enter pleas to any of the eight allegations he is facing.

Those allegations were listed on court papers as follows:

* Between Christmas Eve, 2020, and December 27 that year, he raped a woman. The defendant faces a further two similar rape charges. 

* During the same time period, he assaulted a woman, causing her actual bodily harm.

* That between December 24, 202 and December 27 of that year, he made threats to kill against the same female he is accused of raping.

* Two allegations of theft, when he is said to have stolen house keys and a credit card, again from the woman he is accused of raping.

* And criminal damage to a window worth £205 at a property belonging to Riverside Housing in Carlisle.

After hearing brief legal submissions from both the prosecution and the defence lawyers in the case, District Judge John Temperley sent the case to Carlisle Crown Court for an initial hearing on May 13.

It is likely the defendant, whose address was given in court as Holmes Avenue, Carlisle, will be asked to enter his pleas to all eight charges on that day.

In the meantime, he was granted bail.

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