Rape suspect was quizzed before

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A man charged with raping a 21-year-old woman in Strabane was questioned about another sex attack in the town last month, the High Court has been told.

Dennis Hugh McDermott, 22, from Newton Place in Strabane, is accused of raping the woman in an alleyway early on Monday.

A Crown lawyer told a bail hearing he had been interviewed about an attempted rape in the town in September.

The defence said this had been purely speculative, but bail was denied.

DNA evidence

The prosecution lawyer had told the court the accused was "questioned about an attempted rape of a 19-year-old girl on 9 September and DNA evidence is being expedited in relation to that incident".

However, the defence said he was "concerned that the court has been given the impression that the applicant may have committed a similar act in the past, that he is a serial offender who preys on vulnerable girls and rapes them or attempts to rape them in a public place".

Police believe he is a danger to women and there is a strong possibility of flight over the border and interference with witnesses Prosecution lawyer The prosecution lawyer said the victim of Monday's attack had left a disco and was going to get a taxi.

She said the victim told police the accused offered to escort her but firmly grabbed her arm and walked her past a taxi rank.

The woman alleges that she was raped and sexually abused in an alleyway running alongside a factory.

Her attacker fled when car lights appeared, and she took a taxi to the police station.

'Severely traumatised'

The prosecution lawyer said she had suffered extensive injuries and was "severely traumatised".

She said police were objecting to bail because of the risk of re-offending.

"Police believe he is a danger to women and there is a strong possibility of flight over the border and interference with witnesses," she added.

He has made the case that she came back to his flat quite willingly and the intercourse was consensual, that it took place in his bedroom and not the alleyway Defence lawyer The defence lawyer said the court had been left with the impression that the accused was a serial offender, but police questioning about the earlier incident was purely speculative.

He said it formed just a small part of the interview and he was released unconditionally.

"He has made the case that she came back to his flat quite willingly and the intercourse was consensual, that it took place in his bedroom and not the alleyway," he said.

The defence lawyer said he was confident that this would be supported by DNA evidence.

The prosecution lawyer said in the case of the first incident, police regarded the DNA aspect to be a serious part of their investigation and that the accused had been discharged pending the result which would take several weeks.

Lord Justice Campbell said if the woman's version of events was correct, then because of the serious injuries she sustained he was a risk to women.

He said it would not be appropriate to grant bail at this stage, but the application could be renewed if the DNA evidence assisted the defence.