Accused child rapist allegedly told girl he’d ‘put her in a grave’ if she told

A MAN allegedly told the 14-year-old girl he’s accused of raping that he would “put her in a grave” if she told anyone, a court has heard.

A MAN allegedly told the 14-year-old girl he’s accused of raping that he would “put her in a grave” if she told anyone, a court was told.

A MAN allegedly told the 14-year-old girl he’s accused of raping that he would “put her in a grave” if she told anyone, a court was told.

The 37-year-old man was hit in the head with a cane in a vigilante attack outside the Southport Magistrates Court on Monday before he was charged with 14 counts of rape and one count of indecent dealing with a child.

The charges relate to offences which allegedly occurred in 2011 involving the teenage girl.

ATTACKED MAN ON CHILD SEX CHARGES

ACCUSED MAN ASSAULTED AT COURT

A man is assaulted outside the Southport Court. Picture: David Clark

In the Southport Magistrates Court yesterday, solicitor Michael McMillan said his client disputed the allegations and questioned why police hadn’t charged him sooner.

Mr McMillan said his client also denied the allegation that he had threatened the complainant’s family in March this year.

“The first time I became aware of them and he became aware of them was yesterday when he was struck over the head outside court,” he said.

“In fact it seems they waited for him to appear on the notice to charge him.

“That really speaks in my submission very strongly against there being some real concern about the alleged threats.”

Mr McMillan said it was striking that nothing had happened in relation to the matter since 2011 when police knew where the man was.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Douglas Bettany said the complainant saw the man on the street in February this year and she started to have panic ­attacks.

He said as a result the teenager went to the police to give a statement in June this year.

Magistrate Ron Kilner said in the complainant’s statement she said the man told her “if you tell anyone, I’ll put you in a grave”.

“I would have thought that would have been sufficient to cause somebody angst,” he said.

“There are a number of reasons, it seems, on her statement as to why she delayed reporting it to police.

“One of which was the fact that he’d just recently been ­released from jail and she was again in fear for her safety.”

Mr Kilner refused the application for bail due to concerns about the man threatening witnesses, failing to appear and committing further offences.

The man will next appear in court on September 8.