Woman 'dragged into wooded area and raped' beside Westlink by ex-partner, court hears

Woman 'dragged into wooded area and raped' beside Westlink by ex-partner, court hears A 22-year-old was remanded in custody after appearing in court today charged with rape, sexual assault and non-fatal strangulation 13:14, 20 May 2026 A woman was dragged into a wooded area by the Westlink in Belfast before being thrown to the ground, kicked in the head and raped by an ex-partner, a court heard today. A 22-year-old man from North Belfast appeared in Magistrates' Court today charged with multiple offences following an incident on Tuesday, May 19, which includes rape, sexual assault, non-fatal strangulation and threats to kill. The victim was the defendant's now ex-partner, with the court hearing the charges that were aggravated by domestic abuse. The court heard that the defendant and the victim had met in the Newtownabbey area before getting a taxi to the Clifton Street area of Belfast City Centre . They were later walking close to the Grosvenor Road when the defendant's "behaviour changed", and he became aggressive, questioning the victim about messaging other men. He is then alleged to have dragged the victim from the footpath into a nearby wooded area and raped her. He is also reported to have thrown her on the ground, kicked her in the head and strangled her. The court heard that CCTV from the area shows the victim running from a wooded area beside the Westlink in a distressed state with the defendant following her minutes later. She ran toward Grand Central Station, where staff took her into an office, and she told them what happened. The victim also underwent an eight-hour medical examination following the incident, and police took 41 images of her injuries. The court also heard that the defendant contacted the victim following the incident, saying, "I will never see you again my love, my life is ruined". The defendant has denied the charges. His representation stated that he and the victim had been walking together when they argued before going in opposite directions, with the defendant following the victim a short time later. He told police in interviews that the injuries the victim had suffered had taken place on previous days and were due to someone throwing an e-cigarette at her on the bus and self-harm. Police opposed the bail application for the accused, saying this was a "highly concerning domestic violence incident" and they were worried about him interfering with the victim and the risk of further offending. His representation argued that the judge should "look beyond the seriousness of the allegations" and grant bail, highlighting his lack of a criminal record. Article continues below However, the judge refused bail and remanded the accused in custody. He is due to appear in court again next month on June 17. For all the latest news, visit the homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.