Man charged with kidnap of British tourist named as Marcus Martin
Marcus Martin has been charged with a string of offences in Queensland - including multiple counts of rape and assault.
Wednesday 8 March 2017 07:51, UK
Officials in Australia have named the man accused of repeatedly raping and beating a British backpacker who was held hostage for two months.
Marcus Martin, 22, was identified by the Queensland Department of Justice as the suspect charged with kidnapping the woman.
It is thought the alleged attacks took place between 3 February and 5 March, when the woman, also 22, was rescued.
She stumbled badly bruised and "almost zombie-like" into a remote petrol station in the Australian outback, about 350 miles away from Brisbane.
The owner of the petrol station, Beverley Page, called police after she left without paying for fuel, and they later pulled her over on the Warrego Highway at Mitchell.
Ms Page said: "She was very frightened. She was upset and she was shaking, and she had two black eyes and marks on her throat.
"She just seemed too upset at the time to be just upset about a wallet and not being able to pay for fuel."
The woman told officers that she had been held captive by a man she had met at a party in Cairns, and had been travelling around the state in the car since 2 January.
Martin, from the Manunda suburb of Cairns, was arrested after he was found stowed in the boot underneath a pile of clothing.
He appeared in court on Monday charged with a string of offences - including four counts of rape, eight counts of assault and four counts of strangulation.
His alleged victim was treated for injuries including facial fractures, bruising and cuts to her body.
She has now left hospital and although she has spoken to her family back in the UK, she may face a wait until she can fly home because her passport was allegedly damaged by the suspect.
On Tuesday, Detective Inspector Paul Hart told a news conference: "It was established they had previously had a relationship but at some point it had soured and he basically deprived her of her liberty and committed a number of offences against her as they travelled around the state.
"What she has experienced is no doubt horrific and terrifying and we commend her for taking the opportunity to speak to our police.
"We have potentially saved this young girl's life. Given what's happened to her, the extent of what's happened over the period of time, anything might have transpired."