Revealed: First picture of boyfriend charged with rape of suicide girl as he is given bail

Michael Peter Nicholson, 39, appeared in court yesterday charged with allegedly attacking 34-year-old Kim Corner in the early hours of October 22.

The father of two, who is divorced, was arrested within hours and later that day charged with rape.

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Michael Peter Nicholson appeared in court accused of raping Kim

But on Friday evening Mrs Corner, who claimed to know her attacker well, vanished from her home in Billingham, Cleveland.

Her body was later discovered by a man out walking his dog on the nearby sands at Seaton Carew.

Clutching a photograph of her eight-year-old daughter and a mobile phone it is believed she committed suicide.

A bottle of vodka and a quantity of tablets were found lying next to her body, police said.

Appearing via video-link from prison Nicholson spoke only to confirm his name during yesterday's short five minute hearing at Teesside Crown Court.

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Mother-of-one Kim Corner, 34, from Billingham, Teesside, was found dead on the beach, a week after telling police she had been raped

The businessman, who runs his own minibus hire firm, was unmoved as his solicitor referred to the "tragic" death of Mrs Corner.

Nicholson, of Berkeley Close, Billingham, was released on bail.

Detective Superintendent Tony Hutchinson said the case would now be reviewed by the Crown Prosecution Service.

It is possible Nicholson may be charged with manslaughter on the grounds that the alleged raped led to her suicide.

"Obviously as part of our current investigations we are looking to see if the alleged attack on her is linked with her death," he said.

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Seaton Carew beach near Hartlepool, where Kim Corner's body was found by a dog walker

"Someone out there will be able to tell us how she was feeling.

"I am confident her death was not by the hand of another, but it is important that we find out from everyone who knew Kim exactly what she was thinking and how she was acting, where she had been and who she was with in the days and hours leading to her death."

He added: "Kim was found at 7.55 on Saturday face up on the beach at Seaton Carew, very close to the high tide water mark.

"Her body was wet so perhaps the tide has lapped at her but she has not been fully submerged because items found on and around her body had not been washed away.

"We have to trace her movements from 6pm on Friday evening and must also speak to her friends. We need to establish what exactly was going through her mind that week, what her thoughts and feelings were.

"It's too early to say what exactly happened to her but we need to exhaust all points of enquiry to find out exactly what happened in the last few hours of Kim's life."

Mrs Corner's estranged husband, from whom she separated some years ago, is now caring for their daughter.

A post mortem examination has proved inconclusive and samples have been sent away for further tests to try and pinpoint the cause of her death.

Judge Peter Fox QC adjourned the case for six weeks until December 11 and set a date for the plea and case management hearing for December 21.