Fugitive Joseph McCann refuses to appear in court to face rape charges

A judge has authorised the use of force to bring fugitive Joseph McCann before court after he refused to leave the cells.

The 34-year-old is charged with the kidnap and rape of a woman in Watford in the early hours of Sunday April 21.

McCann, from Aylesbury, in Buckinghamshire, was arrested near Congleton in Cheshire in the early hours of Monday morning – more than two weeks after the alleged attack.

He was due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday accused of the attack but Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot said he was “refusing to come up”.

Prosecutor Iain Jenkins asked the judge to authorise the use of force so McCann could appear before the court by video-link from Belmarsh prison on Thursday.

“In the case of Mr McCann we will hear him by video-link tomorrow,” she said.

“Mr McCann has failed to come up and yes, I do certainly authorise the use of force to get him before the video-link tomorrow so we can get on with the case.”