Two teenage boys appear in court charged with attempted rape

By Jonathan McCambridge (PA)

Two 14-year-old boys have appeared in court charged with the attempted rape of a girl in Co Antrim.

Coleraine Magistrates’ Court heard that the teenagers had denied the alleged offence during interview with police.

They appeared in court on Monday via videolink from a juvenile justice centre.

They were charged by detectives who are investigating a serious sexual assault on a teenage girl in Ballymena.

The alleged incident took place in the Clonavon Terrace area on Saturday evening.

A PSNI detective constable told the court she could connect the two boys to the offences.

The charges were read to the teenagers via an interpreter.

Both said yes when asked if they understood.

The court heard that both are accused of attempting to orally rape a girl.

Solicitor Niall O’Neill said there was no application for bail at this moment.

He said both his clients are 14, both with no record in the jurisdiction and both denied the matter in interview with police.

He said there is currently no suitable bail address for them to reside.

The detective constable told the court there is one potential outstanding suspect in the case who had not been identified yet, who is believed to be around the same age as the two defendants.

District Judge Peter King remanded the two teenagers in custody until a further hearing before a youth court in Ballymena on July 2.