A man has appeared in court accused of spiking the drink of a woman inside a Cumbrian nightclub.
Florin Busliuc, 38, faces one charge which is said to arise out of an incident at The Warehouse, Burrowgate in Penrith in the early hours of Sunday, February 15.
This alleges that he unlawfully and maliciously administered to the woman a poison or other destructive or noxious thing — a white powder.
The charge further alleges that he did so with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy.
Busliuc, of Bowfell House Building, Newton Rigg, near Penrith, appeared at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court this morning.
During a five-minute hearing, Busliuc spoke with the assistance of a Romanian interpreter to confirm his name, date of birth and his address which, said the defendant, was provided as part of his employment contract.
No plea was formally entered to the charge, which is so serious that it can only be dealt with at a crown court.
Providing a brief outline, prosecutor George Shelley said the allegation was that Busliuc had spiked a drink which had been bought for the woman at the nightclub.
The case was sent to Carlisle Crown Court, where Busliuc is due to appear in front of a judge for a plea and trial preparation hearing on Friday March 20.
In the meantime he has been remanded in custody. No application for bail was made by defence solicitor Duncan Campbell.
