Two in court on rape charge

Magistrates reject bail application and remand pair in custody

TWO men appeared before Newbury magistrates yesterday (Thursday) charged with rape.

Praveem Singh, aged 22, and 23-year-old Gurpreet Singh, who both live in Sutton Road, Speen, have both been charged with raping the same woman in her twenties following an incident at an address in Speen on Friday, January 14.

They are both also charged with indecently assaulting the woman on the same occasion.

The pair, both wearing red, open necked shirts and black trousers, were led into the dock from the cells and spoke only to confirm their name and address through a court-appointed Punjabi interpreter.

The pair applied for bail during the hearing, which lasted more than two hours.

However, Claire French, prosecuting, said the application was opposed.

After retiring to consider the matter, magistrates rejected the bail application and the pair were remanded in custody to appear at Reading Crown Court on Monday, January 31.