Rape accused 'should never have been released on bail' - Judge

Mirel Carp, (18), with no address in Northern Ireland, is charged with the anal rape of a woman on February 28, 2010, in the County Court Division of Antrim.

A police constable told last Thursday’s sitting in Antrim that he felt he could connect the accused with the charge of rape (offence after February 1, ‘09).

An application was then made to the court to have Carp’s police bail revoked and replaced with court bail on the same terms.

After the court heard that a co-accused had fled the jurisdiction, a solicitor for Carp said his client had “ample opportunity to flee” between the time of his original arrest in March and the date when he was charged, June 21, but that he had not done so.

He said his client had adhered to strict bail conditions, reporting daily to police and remaining under curfew.

The court also heard that Carp did not have a passport and that the ID card on which he had travelled to Northern Ireland had been seized by police.

District Judge, Desmond Perry said he felt it was “very, very strange” that Carp had been released on bail given “the seriousness of the charge”.

Mr Perry went on to grant continuing bail, replacing all the terms of the police bail with court bail.

He told Carp, who appeared in court, that he faced the same bail conditions as previously and that he was not permitted to leave Northern Ireland.

In addition to placing Carp on his own bail of 500, the District Judge sought two sureties, each of 500.

Mr Perry said: “He should never have been released on bail by the police”.

He ordered Carp to appear back again at the same court on August 12.