Failed asylum seeker charged with raping woman

A failed asylum seeker has been charged with raping a woman in a wooded area.

Dorset Police said the alleged attack, off Maxwell Road, Bournemouth, was reported on 5 November at about 21:20 GMT.

Mohammed Fathi Eltbie, 24, appeared before Poole magistrates and was remanded in custody to appear at Bournemouth Crown Court on 18 December.

The defendant was an Egyptian national who arrived in the UK in July 2023, magistrates were told.

Robert Salame, prosecuting, told the court: "The defendant is of uncertain immigration status with the defendant's asylum application refused in January this year."

Selina Goddard, defending, said Eltbie denied the offence and claimed the sexual encounter was "consensual".

The defendant and the complainant, a woman aged in her 30s, did not know each other, the court heard.

Police have urged the public to refrain from commenting on the case on social media.

Det Insp Mark Jenkins said: "This matter will be subject to active court proceedings, and it is vital that the justice process is allowed to follow its course."