Rape trial jury told to return on Monday

The trial of a 42-year-old man who is accused of raping a 30-year-old woman, who died a year after the alleged offences occurred, will go into its fourth day on Monday.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt sent the seven men and five women of the jury home yesterday for legal argument in their absence and directed them to return to the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork on Monday.

The accused man was arraigned on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to six charges against him, namely two counts of rape, three charges of aggravated sexual assault by threat of violence by the production of a broken wine bottle, and of production of a weapon to intimidate, namely a broken wine bottle.

All charges related to January 14, 2017.