Woman walking home from Christmas party in Cairns North, sexually assaulted and robbed by a man.

A man is expected to appear in the Cairns Magistrates Court later this morning, following investigations into an alleged sexual assault and robbery incident at Cairns North last week.

It will be alleged a woman aged in her forties had been socialising in the CBD and was walking to a Cairns North accommodation complex when a man on a bicycle stopped and engaged her in conversation.

It will be further alleged the man pushed the woman against a fence near the intersection of Grove and McLeod Streets and sexually assaulted her before stealing her handbag and leaving on the bicycle. The woman then continued walking and the man again approached and threw the handbag at her before leaving.

The woman subsequently reported the incident and an investigation was commenced. It is further alleged that a credit card which had been stolen from the victim’s handbag was later fraudulently used by a woman to purchase goods from a Manoora fuel station.

Police located and spoke with a man in Grove Street at Cairns North at around 4.30am yesterday and he was taken into custody.

The 26-year-old Mooroobool man was subsequently charged with one count each of rape, robbery and fraud.

Continued inquiries saw detectives attend a Pease Street address at Manoora just before 8am yesterday where they spoke with a 50-year-old Bungalow woman.

She was charged with one count each of receiving tainted property, fraud, possession of a dangerous drug and possession of drug utensils. The woman is scheduled to appear in the Cairns Magistrates Court on January 14.