Captured fugitive Joseph McCann has refused to appear in court to face 12 charges, including five counts of rape.
McCann, from Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, was arrested near Congleton in Cheshire in the early hours of Monday morning – more than two weeks after his first alleged attack.
The 34-year-old had already been charged with the kidnap and rape of a woman at knifepoint in Watford in the early hours of Sunday 21 April.
On Wednesday he was further charged with two kidnappings, four counts of rape, one count of false imprisonment, two counts of causing a female over 13 to engage in sexual activity and one count of assaulting a female over 13 by penetration in London between 24 April and 6 May.
He was due to appear at Westminster magistrates court on Wednesday but chief magistrate Emma Arbuthnot said he was “refusing to come up” from the cells. Six uniformed officers were on guard outside the courtroom.
Prosecutor Iain Jenkins asked the judge to authorise the use of force so McCann could appear before the court by videolink from Belmarsh prison on Thursday.
Arbuthnot said: “Mr McCann has failed to come up and yes, I do certainly authorise the use of force to get him before the videolink tomorrow so we can get on with the case.”
Officers from the Met’s homicide and major crime command continue to investigate.
McCann was arrested on Sunday night in Cheshire after a two-week police manhunt. A reward of £20,000 had been offered by the Met for his capture.
