Rape accused '˜roamed streets looking for vulnerable women'

A man charged with raping two women in Belfast allegedly roamed the streets at night seeking vulnerable people for sex, a court has heard.

Turkish national Orhan Kibar is accused of attacking the pair and imprisoning one of them at the weekend.

The 41-year-old, of Claremont Street in the city, was refused bail amid claims that relatives plan to help him flee to his native country or Denmark.

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Kibar appeared before Belfast Magistrates’ Court charged with three counts of rape and false imprisonment.

He allegedly committed the offences after meeting the two women early on Saturday morning and taking them back to his apartment.

Standing head bowed in the dock, he spoke through an interpreter only to confirm that he understood the charges.

Opposing his release, a detective constable expressed fears that he could reoffend.

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She said: “A woman known to the defendant provided a statement outlining her concerns about her knowledge of him walking the streets in the early hours of the morning, looking for vulnerable women, approaching them and requesting they have sex with him.”

Agreeing with her assertions, the detective added: “That’s how he came into contact with these injured parties.”

The court heard the two women sustained bruising – one to her legs and arm and the other to the back of her head.

According to police relatives of Kibar are aware of the case and have been making arrangements to get him to either Denmark or Turkey if he is released from custody.

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In cross-examination, defence counsel Sean O’Hare put it to the detective that Kibar still doesn’t know the full allegations against him because interviews with the complainants have yet to be completed.

She replied that both are co-operating with police, but one was too traumatised to go through a special evidence process at the weekend.

Mr O’Hare stressed the issue of consent surrounding the alleged offences.

“There’s CCTV footage from the defendant’s own apartment block that apparently shows the defendant and the injured parties going back to his apartment together,” he said.

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But the detective countered: “The injured parties would state they did go back to the apartment, but they certainly did not consent (to what happened).”

Despite being told Kibar has lived “quietly” in Northern Ireland for several years, District Judge Fiona Bagnall denied bail.

She said: “On the basis of what I have been told I think there’s a likelihood of reoffending, and I think there’s likely to be a risk to the public as well.”

Kibar was remanded in custody to appear again by video-link on December 20.

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