It’s claimed the 25-year-old also beat the woman over the head with his phone and kicked her repeatedly in a row over him buying cocaine
A man allegedly punched his pregnant girlfriend in the stomach and said he hoped the baby died, the High Court heard.
Oisin McDonald also beat the woman over the head with his phone and kicked her repeatedly in a row over him buying cocaine, it was claimed.
Police found the 25-year-old accused from Co Armagh hiding under cushions at a blood-spattered flat in Lurgan earlier this month.
McDonald, of Killough Gardens in the town, was refused bail on charges of causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possessing Class A drugs.
Prosecution counsel Mark O’Connor said on Monday the woman was spotted running from apartments at William Street on March 11 with her face covered in blood. Police called to the scene discovered blood on walls of the stairway area and on the kitchen floor inside the debris-strewn flat.
McDonald was located hiding behind a sofa, concealed under cushions while sweating profusely and in an agitated state. He had blood all over his hands and claimed a relative had taken his girlfriend to hospital after she fell down the stairs.
As officers spoke to him a small bag of white powders suspected to be drugs was observed on a television cabinet. The woman was 12 weeks pregnant at the time of the alleged attack, the court heard.
In hospital she was initially reluctant to make any complaint, but later claimed McDonald had been physically and verbally abusive during their relationship. She told police an altercation broke out on March 11 over him purchasing cocaine.
“During this he beat her to the back of the head with his phone, causing a laceration, and punched and slapped her face,” Mr O’Connor submitted.
“He punched her to the back of the head, and kicked her all over her body.”
At one stage McDonald allegedly pulled the woman by the hair to get her back into the property. Counsel further contended: “He punched her to the left side of her stomach and told her that he hoped the baby died.”
McDonald faces further charges of theft, criminal damage and fraud over claims he smashed the woman’s phone and took £355 from her universal credit account.
During his police interviews he denied all of the allegations against him. He claimed his girlfriend had tripped over a bicycle in a communal area of the flats, fell backwards on to stairs and hit her head off a wall.
According to McDonald’s account, he tried to stem the bleeding before calling a relative to take her to hospital.
Lord Justice Colton was told the defendant has long-term mental health problems, including ADHD, autism and a sensory processing disorder.
But despite accepting there were addiction-related issues to be addressed, the judge ruled that McDonald must remain in custody to protect the alleged victim.
He said: “I would be concerned if released he would not comply with conditions and that would put the complainant at significant risk.”
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