An alleged burglar is to stand trial accused of assaulting a vulnerable pensioner and holding her prisoner.
Appearing at Ballymena Magistrates Court by videolink from prison, David Taylor (42) confirmed he was aware of the eight charges against him and that he was not objecting to the case being sent to the Crown Court.
All alleged to have been committed on November 30 2022 Taylor, of no fixed address, faces charges of burglary, false imprisonment, assault, attempted burglary with intent to steal, theft, possessing class B cannabis and two charges of criminal damage.
When Taylor was first charged last September, the court heard how the Ballymena pensioner “feared she would be raped” when a masked intruder forced his way into her home.
According to the Crown case Taylor also allegedly threatened to stab the terrified 86-year-old with a screwdriver during her three and a half hour ordeal.
The woman was confronted by a masked intruder at around 4am after he had forced entry through a rear door at her Hollybank Park home.
In court on Thursday, defence counsel Neil Moore conceded there was a Prima facie case against Taylor.
Remanding Taylor back into custody, District Judge Nigel Broderick returned the case to Antrim Crown Court and scheduled the arraignment for March 21.