A builder accused of twice raping a sleeping woman has been told to find his passport – or cancel it in the presence of his solicitor – within 48 hours or else face the loss of his liberty.
In addition to two counts of rape allegedly committed on July 1 this year, Denvoir Larkin, of no fixed abode, but previously of Fort Street in Banbridge, is also accused of attempting to anally rape the complainant on the same date and with intimidating her to withdraw her evidence on August 30 this year.
Details of the charges were laid out by the prosecution last week during a contested bail hearing.
At Newry Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, a defence solicitor for the 31-year-old said that during his arrest last Thursday, police simultaneously conducted a search on the rental property that he was in but had broken the door in the process.
The landlord had subsequently changed the locks and refused to give Larkin’s mother access so she could look for his passport stating: “Nobody’s getting given access to that house until I get a new door”.
Larkin’s defence described the situation, which requires him to surrender his passport as part of his bail conditions, as a “bit if a quagmire” adding, “there is a belief the passport is currently out of date”.
“The suggestion that we have would be to admit him to bail where he will go to Mr McVerry’s [his solicitor] office within 48 hours and cancel his passport in front of Mr McVerry. We can’t do it for him as it can only be he who cancels his passport by reporting it lost or stolen. But he would do that witnessed by Mr McVerry.
“[Absconding] isn’t a big issue here because all his family connections are here. Although he works in the Republic of Ireland, he’s the man who walked into the police station. If your worship could let him out so that we could close off this passport issue by cancelling it.”
District Judge Eamon King questioned why he couldn’t get the door fixed himself or arrange for someone to go and fix it.
“The door is fixed; the landlord now wants police to pay for it,” defence added.
Judge King granted bail with Larkin to surrender – or cancel – his passport within 48 hours of release and to do so in presence of solicitor.
His case was re-listed for September 28.
