A MAN charged with the rape and sexual assault of a woman has been given a date for his trial.

Danyle Smith, had already entered not guilty pleas to the two offences at an earlier hearing held at Oxford Crown Court in December last year.

The 27-year-old of no fixed abode denies one count of rape and one count of assault by penetration.

The charges relate to an incident which is alleged to have occurred in January of last year.

They involve one woman who cannot be named for legal reasons.

READ AGAIN: Man denies rape and sex assault charges.

A trial was expected to take place at the same court yesterday.

However, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic no new jury trials are currently allowed to go ahead, and existing fixtures have been suspended until later in the year.

At a hearing held yesterday, on what should have been the first day of the trial, presiding Judge Ian Pringle QC agreed to adjourn the case to a later date.

A trial date of September 1 was agreed at the brief hearing and the case is expected to last between four and five days.

The court also agreed to extend the custody time limit of Smith as a result of the original trial date being postponed.

Following agreement of that extension Smith was remanded in custody to await his date of trial.