The judge was told that the victim could have died if police had not arrived in time to provide emergency first aid
Intruders stabbed a man at his flat in east Belfast after a drugs purchase was arranged on a WhatsApp dealing group, a court heard today.
The victim could have died if police had not arrived in time to provide emergency first aid to the serious leg wound, a judge was told.
Justin McAllister, 29, faces charges of aggravated burglary with intent to commit grievous bodily harm and theft of a mobile phone over the incident at Dunraven Court in the early hours of January 27.
Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard PSNI officers called to the scene discovered the man bleeding heavily from a laceration to his thigh and immediately applied a tourniquet to stem the flow.
“It was quite a severe wound which, without intervention, could have proved fatal due to the blood loss,” an investigating detective said.
The victim later stated he had contacted unknown individuals via a WhatsApp drug dealing group.
Later that morning three men arrived separately and entered his flat without permission, making demands for money.
“He was threatened and one of the males stabbed him using a knife believed to have been lifted from a knife block in the kitchen,” the detective said.
McAllister, of City Way in south Belfast, was allegedly identified on CCTV from the flats and detained at his home three days later.
He has been further charged with possessing Class B and C drugs over quantities of medication discovered during the arrest.
During police interviews McAllister accepted attending Dunraven Court but denied carrying out the stabbing.
“He also stated that the three males were there to buy drugs off the injured party rather than the other way around,” the detective disclosed.
Opposing bail, he claimed all three men had been involved in an attack carried out without showing any concern or remorse towards the victim.
“Police believe the parties knew violence would be used against the victim,” he added.
“Had police not attended quickly and dealt so swiftly with this arterial bleed the matter may have turned out very differently.
Michael Boyd, defending, argued that McAllister was able to provide a full account of what happened.
“The injured party appears to have been either under the influence of drugs or heavily sedated,” the barrister submitted.
McAllister was granted bail on strict terms based on his lack of any previous violent offending.
Banning him from entering east Belfast, District Judge Natasha Fitzsimons warned: “If you make any contact at all with the complainant you will be straight into custody.”
The case was adjourned until March 2.
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