A north busker who allegedly failed to appear for a previous court date is to stand trial charged with rape and sexual assault.
Kim Avis today faced 25 charges during a short hearing at the High Court in Glasgow.
The allegations span between January 1997 and March 2019, mainly at 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.
Avis is further charged with sexually assaulting a girl when she was 11.
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”.
Avis denies the accusations.
His lawyer Lorenzo Alonzi said: “I am confident we can proceed to fix a trial.
“I think seven days is a more realistic duration for it.
“I anticipate evidence from Mr Avis himself and other defence witnesses.”
Lady Stacey set a trial due to begin in April.
