Man charged in court with attempting to murder two women

By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

A man has appeared in court charged with attempting to murder two women who were stabbed in Co Down.

Jason Rhodes, 26, of Stream Street in Downpatrick, was charged with a number of offences when he appeared in the dock at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.

The offences relate to an incident at a property in Stream Street on Friday.

The defendant was charged with two counts of attempted murder, possession of cocaine, possession of cannabis, assault on a police constable and possession of an offensive weapon with intent to commit an indictable offence.

The court was told that the weapon was a zombie knife.

Rhodes nodded when asked if he understood the charges.

A detective constable told the court that she could connect Rhodes to the charges.

No application for bail was made and he was remanded in custody until April 10th.

During the incident on Friday, a 35-year-old woman sustained a serious knife wound to her neck and other lacerations to her head and face, while a second woman, who is in her 50s, also sustained stab wounds.

Police said the injuries sustained by the women were serious but not life-threatening.