Former Inverness busker to face 25 charges including charges of rape and sexual assault

A man who allegedly failed to appear for a previous court date is to stand trial charged with rape and sexual assault.

Kim Avis faced 25 charges during a short hearing at the High Court in Glasgow today.

The allegations span between January 1997 and March 2019 and relate mainly to addresses in Inverness.

The accusations include claims he raped three women.

He is also said to have attempted to rape one of them when she was 12 years old.

Avis is further charged with sexually assaulting a girl when she was 11 years old.

Prosecutors claim the 56-year-old had been due to stand trial in Edinburgh on March 11, 2019 but failed to appear “without reasonable excuse”.

Amongst the other accusations on the indictment include breach of the peace as well as threatening and abusive behaviour.

Avis denies the accusations.

His lawyer, Lorenzo Alonzi, said: "I am confident we can proceed to fix a trial.

"I anticipate evidence from Mr Avis himself and other defence witnesses."

Lady Stacey set a trial due to begin in April.