Co Armagh man put his trousers round his mother's neck and tugged her backwards, a Craigavon court hears

Niall Byrne, aged 28, from Clanrolla Park, Craigavon, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court on Friday charged with common assault, criminal damage and possession a Class C drug.

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Byrne’s solicitor Mr Garrett Greene, said his client has been in custody since he was arrested.

The court heard that on Tuesday, December 17, last year Byrne’s mother contacted police reporting that he had stayed with her the previous night.

"She went to get him out of bed and he ‘went off on one’,” the Prosecutor told the court. The Prosecutor revealed the injured party said Byrne put his trousers around her neck and “tugged her backwards onto him”.

He threw a large wall clock into a small bin containing two photo frames – damaging the items.

When he was arrested and searched police found a blister pack containing 3 tablets of a Class C drug.

Mr Greene said the court may be concerned about a suspended sentence received in May last year. The solicitor said that offence was 2022 and Byrne spent time in custody "in the intervening period”.

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"He has a complex history with his mother. His mother has sought to help him at some stages with the difficulties he has in the context of his mental health.

"This is a situation where he blew up in the domestic home and has calmed down thereafter,” said Mr Greene, adding that Byrne has no other matters before the court.

District Judge Michael Ranaghan said he is “happy to let the suspended sentence he already has to hang over his head”.

"The common assault was particularly nasty and no doubt his mother was in significant fear,” said the District Judge sentencing Byrne to five months in prison for assault.

For the criminal damage he was given a four months jail term and for the possession of Class C he received a two months jail term.

He was also ordered to pay £25 Offender Levy.