A 35-year-old Douglas man has appeared in court denying three counts of indecent assault on a woman.

He also pleaded not guilty to common assault and theft.

The man is also charged with rape, but a plea to that charge can only be entered at the Court of General Gaol Delivery.

He will be committed to the higher court on Thursday, February 13, 2025.

The allegations were said to involve the defendant performing oral sex on the woman and digital penetration.

He cannot be named due to relatively new provisions that give anonymity to defendants in sex cases unless and until they are convicted.

The provisions were brought in at the end of March 2024 under the Sexual Offences and Obscene Publications Act.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain submitted that the allegations were too serious for summary court and should be tried at the Court of General Gaol Delivery.

The defendant was represented by advocate David Reynolds, who said that it was agreed that the indecent assault allegations should go to the higher court.

However, Mr Reynolds said that the alleged theft involved clothing, and that the defendant had been in a relationship with the woman, so his position was that the items had been left at his home.

The common assault allegation can only be heard in summary court and has been adjourned sini di (indefinitely), until the outcome of the more serious allegations.

Magistrates declined jurisdiction in relation to the indecent assault allegations, but agreed that they would have accepted jurisdiction for the alleged theft, had it not been linked to the other charges.

Bail continues in the sum of £500, with conditions for the defendant to live at his home address, not to contact witnesses, to surrender his passport, and not to leave the island without court consent.