A 37-year-old Belfast man has been refused bail after appearing in the High Court charged with raping and strangling a 17-year-old girl in Co Down.

The defendant, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the alleged victim, faces charges including rape, non-fatal strangulation, voyeurism, possession of an offensive weapon, having indecent images of a child and supplying class A drugs.

Prosecutors said the alleged incident happened on September 26 when the girl made a 999 call from Bangor in the early hours claiming she had been attacked and raped in the man's car. She alleged that he then threw her out of the vehicle and drove off.

The court heard that the pair had been in a relationship for several months after meeting online through Snapchat. The man allegedly supplied her with crack cocaine and recorded sexual encounters without her permission.

On the night in question, the girl said he picked her up in Bangor, gave her neat rum, and then raped and strangled her, striking her head off the dashboard. She said he had a knife and threatened to use it after she told him she was pregnant with his baby.

She was taken to the Ulster Hospital for treatment to injuries on her neck, forehead and arms. A prosecution barrister described her as "one of the most vulnerable children in Northern Ireland."

The defendant denies all charges. During police interviews he claimed her injuries were self-inflicted following consensual sex and that he pushed her out of the car near a roundabout when she started banging her head on the dashboard.

Defence barrister Sean Devine noted the girl has not yet made an official statement of complaint and said the issue was one of consent in a relationship.

Refusing bail, Judge Doherty cited risks of reoffending and interference with the alleged victim, stating: "I am concerned that, at its height, this is an absolutely horrendous incident."