Preston man accused of sexual offences against 14 women

Adam Soothill, 30, of Whinsands Close, Fulwood, Preston, is accused of 29 counts of sexual assault, which are alleged to have taken place between 2017 and 2019.

The complainants cannot be identified for legal reasons.

At the moment the soonest trial date he could have is October 18, 2021.

The court heard inquiries were being made into whether the case can be dealt with sooner by a Nightingale Court on the local circuit.

Ten ‘Nightingale Courts’ have been set up to tackle the impact of coronavirus on the justice system and deal with the backlog of cases that have suffered delays.One of the designated sites is the former magistrates’ court at Fleetwood, Lancashire.

Judge Heather Lloyd adjourned the case until a date to be set, in order for further inquiries to be made about the progress of the case.

(proceeding)

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