Ballymena man admits claim that electronic monitoring tag was damaged by a dog was false
A man has pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage to an electronic bail monitoring tag, and admitted an initial claim that it was damaged by a dog was false.
Curtis Dunlop (23), of Pinegrove Park in Ballymena, committed the offence on October 16 last year.
The defendant appeared at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, on Tuesday.
At an earlier court Dunlop said a dog "chewed" the tag and it was "ripped" by the dog.
The defendant said the dog got "hold of it because I was wiggling it. He got hold of it. I tried to rip it away and it ripped the tag".
He had the monitoring tag fitted after being charged with riotous assembly in Ballymena in connection to June 11 last year.
At Antrim Crown Court recently he pleaded guilty to that charge. He had been remanded in custody and sentencing was adjourned to February for a pre-sentence report.
A previous court heard he was struck in the groin with a police baton round during disorder in Ballymena.
At court this week in relation to the tag damage, District Judge Nigel Broderick said: "The dog excuse was a lie then" and a defence barrister said his client accepts it had been a "lie".
He said the defendant had been trying to loosen the tag because it was "itching him".
The lawyer said the tag had still been operational. The cost of the damage to the tag was £140.
Judge Broderick said: "This dog story was never going to be a credible account".
A three months prison term was handed down.