The High Court has heard that a woman was allegedly raped at knifepoint by her ex-partner in the toilets of a fast food restaurant in Belfast city centre.

It was claimed the man, an African asylum seeker, forced himself on the victim after following her into the ladies at McDonalds on Donegall Place.

A prosecuting lawyer said the 33-year-old allegedly took the woman's clothes off and said "You know what I need" before raping her twice.

Crown counsel Philip Henry said: "The injured party stated she was aware he had a knife and was very afraid he would use it."

A decision has yet to be taken on whether to charge the man, who cannot be named to protect his ex-partner's identity, over the alleged attack in May.

Details were disclosed as he applied for bail on separate charges of intimidation, making threats to kill and breach of a non-molestation order.

Those charges relate to claims that he telephoned the woman last week in a bid to get her to drop complaints against him.

Opposing bail, Mr Henry said the PSNI's public protection unit have carried out a risk evaluation on the accused.

'Risk'

"He has been assessed as a category three potentially dangerous person - that is the highest in a three tier category," the barrister added.

"They (police) would have extreme concerns if this applicant were released on bail."

Mark Farrell, defending, told the court his client was awaiting a decision on his application for political asylum.

"It's not as if he arrived here in the back of a truck via the continent," he said.

Mr Farrell stressed how the accused had been "left in limbo" because no decision has been taken on the rape allegations.

He added that deep animosity had developed between his client and his ex-partner, with social services involved in monitoring her children.

According to the accused it was the woman who phoned him because he had started a new relationship.

Refusing to release the man, Lord Justice Higgins ruled it was not an appropriate case to grant bail. He added that a new application could be made if forensic examinations of the telephone records back the accused's claims that his ex-partner contacted him.