Rejected asylum seeker in court accused of rape

A FAILED asylum seeker has appeared in court charged with the rape of a woman in her 30s in a wooded area of Bournemouth.

- BEN MITCHELL wdp@reachplccom

Mohammed Fathi Eltbie, from Egypt, was remanded in custody at Poole Magistrates’ Court where he appeared accused of the rape in the Dorset seaside resort on November 5.

The 24-year-old, who spoke with the assistance of an interpreter to confirm his name and date of birth, had his case sent to Bournemouth Crown Court for a plea and tial preparation hearing on December 18.

Robert Salame, prosecuting, told the court that Eltbie arrived in the UK in July 2023 but his application for asylum was refused in January this year, leaving his immigration status as “uncertain” He said: “The defendant is of uncertain immigration status with the defendant’s asylum application refused in January this year. The defendant is an Egyptian national who entered the UK in July 2023.”