Your round-up of the key cases heard before Northern Irish courts during the week of September 7-11.
Cases before the courts in Northern Ireland this week included the trial of a Co Down farmer accused of causing unnecessary suffering and neglect to animals on his farm.
Another case saw a three-and-a-half year sentence imposed on a man who injured an off-duty policeman during an episode of cocaine-induced psychosis.
Meanwhile a warehouse operator who stabbed a man on the dancefloor of a Belfast nightclub in a revenge attack was jailed for 27 months.
Here is your round-up of the key cases heard before Northern Ireland courts during the week of September 7-11.
Belfast dad ‘walloped’ man with chair outside Wetherspoon’s
A Belfast man who hit another man with a metal chair in a street fight outside a bar in Carrickfergus was handed a suspended sentence on Monday.
Following his arrest, William McCullough told police “I picked it up and walloped him.” The 35-year old from Hopewell Crescent had a 16-month sentence imposed which was suspended for two years by Judge Gordon Kerr KC.
Belfast Crown Court heard that on Sunday February 18, 2024 police were called to a fight outside Wetherspoon’s on Carrick’s High Street.
The fight had been instigated by a woman who pushed another female and when CCTV was viewed, McCullough was captured defending himself against others.
Man sawed his way into neighbour’s flat before setting it on fire
A man told police he had sawn his way into his neighbour’s flat and set fire to it “in retaliation for a complaint of harassment,” a court has heard.
Appearing in the dock of Newtownards Magistrates Court on Monday, 27-year-old Jack McClure was charged with six offences alleged to have been committed on Sunday September 6.
McClure, with an address at Balloo Walk in Bangor, was charged with arson with intent to endanger life, burglary with intent to steal as well as four drug offences, including possessing magic mushrooms, herbal cannabis, pregabalin and diazepam.
Vet had to euthanise starving calf separated from its mother on farm
A Government vet told a jury how she humanely euthanised a starving calf that had been separated from its mother on a Co Down farm.
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) vet was called to give evidence during the the trial being held at Belfast Crown Court.
Samuel Ernest Cooper, 71, of Derryleckagh Row in Newry, has been charged with a total of 17 charges spanning a five-month period.
The farmer has been charged with, and denies, ten counts of causing unnecessary suffering to animals, four of failing to hold a carcass, two counts of failing to have bovine animals tested and one of failing to keep a record of medicines.
The offences are alleged to have been committed on cows and sheep on dates between December 1, 2022 and May 19, 2023.
Man who assaulted nursing staff while inpatient at Belfast hospital sentenced
A 28-month sentence was imposed upon a man who assaulted nursing staff whilst an inpatient in Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital.
Gerard Kane was told he will serve half the term in prison followed by a 14-month period on licence when he is released from custody.
With an address as HMP Maghaberry, the 62-year old was sentenced at Belfast Crown Court on Thursday for a total of six offences.
The court heard that on October 3 last year, police were called to the RVH by nursing staff due to the behaviour of Kane, who was an inpatient on a ward.
A member of staff reported that Kane has picked up a bin and tried to throw it at her. She said Kane then walked towards her with intent and she believed he was going to assault her.
After she moved out of his way and began walking to the nurse’s station, Kane followed her and made sexual gestures at her whilst glaring at her.
‘An abuse of trust’: Care worker stole £30,000 from house-bound man
A care worker who stole more than £30,000 from a vulnerable, house-bound man over a five-year period was jailed on Friday for the “nasty” offence.
Nicola Beattie will spend a year in custody followed by a year on supervised licence for a charge of fraud by false representation.
As she jailed the 47-year old from Gilpin Park in Craigavon, Judge Natalie Pinkerton told Beattie her offence involved “gas-lighting” and manipulation.
Belfast Crown Court heard that in August 2016 Beattie, who worked as a carer for Homecare, was assigned as the keyworker for the vulnerable man.
He depended on Beattie to purchase his food and clothing as well as paying his household bills and expenses.
As he was an alcoholic, he had an alcohol management plan and Beattie also purchased alcohol for him in accordance with the plan.
When the lockdown restrictions ended at the end of the coronavirus pandemic, the victim raised concerns with his daughter regarding his finances and said Beattie would not give him access to his bank statements.
He said that when he confronted Beattie, she took his bank statements – and when he told her he was going to report his concerns to Beattie’s manager, she took the contact card with the manager’s number on it and asked if he had any evidence.
Man stabbed on dancefloor of Belfast nightclub in revenge attack
A warehouse operator who stabbed a man on the dancefloor of a Belfast nightclub in a revenge attack has been jailed for 27 months.
Judge Natalie Pinkerton told Mohamed Abdul Hakeem that he would spend an identical period on supervised licence on his release from custody.
The 20-year-old, of Airfield Heights in West Belfast, had previously pleaded guilty to a single charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Belfast Crown Court heard on Friday that on the evening of Sunday, August 31, 2024, the victim was out for the evening with some friends at Ollies nightclub in Waring Street.
It was the prosecution case that at around 2.20am the following morning the defendant approached his victim from behind and appeared to punch him in the back, before striking him a further three times to the lower back and legs.
A prosecution lawyer told the court that the incident was caught on CCTV cameras in the nightclub. The victim had sustained three stab wounds: One to his back, and two to his lower left leg.
Man who injured off-duty policeman during cocaine-induced psychosis sentenced
A three-and-a-half year sentence has been imposed upon a man who injured an off-duty policeman during a episode of cocaine-induced psychosis.
Kyle Knell was handed the sentence at Belfast Crown Court on Friday by Judge Philip Gilpin who divided the term equally between prison and licence.
From Tynan Drive in Newtownabbey, the 30-year old father of three was told his actions caused “significant harm to others.”
On January 6, 2025 Knell went to a hotel with friends where he consumed a large amount of alcohol and cocaine. His behaviour was erratic and he was captured on CCTV running through the reception area with no shirt on.
After leaving the hotel at around 8.45pm, he flagged down a motorist and got dropped off in a residential street in Co Antrim.
A female who recognised Knell was sitting in a parked car outside her parent’s home talking her to police officer partner on the phone when Knell approached the vehicle.
He started banging on her car door shouting “They’re trying to kill me … help me.”
The woman told her partner what was happening and he told her to hang up and get her father. Knell then approached the parents’ front door and pushed his way in shouting “Help me, they’re going to shoot me for ten grand.”
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