Man headbutted woman at Belfast International Airport after getting off flight from Majorca
A man headbutted a woman at Belfast International Airport after getting off a flight from Majorca.
Seamus McGeady (42), of Ballymagowan Gardens in Derry/Londonderry, admitted a charge of assault.
A second charge - behaving in a 'threatening and abusive manner which would be likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm' - was withdrawn by prosecutors.
The defendant was at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, on Tuesday. The court was told that at 11.15am on May 27 last year, police at Belfast International Airport received a report of an assault.
A 23-year-old woman had returned from a ten day holiday in Alcudia with her mother, brother and her mum's partner - the defendant. The court was told that during the flight there been a seat swap.
After the flight landed the defendant was annoyed about it and outside the terminal he began shouting at the 23-year-old. He was "right up against her face" and headbutted her causing bruising to her right eye.
A defence barrister said after the incident the defendant "tried to apologise". He said the defendant had not had any sleep after travelling in the "middle of the night".
He said after the seat swap another man had sat beside the defendant on the flight. That man had consumed alcohol "and the defendant wasn't happy about that".
He then "tackled" the 23-year-old woman about it outside the airport where his temper "boiled over". The barrister said the woman said she had never seen the defendant act in such a way before.
District Judge Nigel Broderick viewed footage of the incident. He told the defendant that assaulting a woman is a "very serous matter especially when it was somebody who was part of your travelling party and to headbutt her is totally reprehensible".
He said the "only thing saving you from custody" was the guilty plea and lack of record and it "could be argued" the airport offence was "out of character".
The defendant was given a three months prison term, suspended for a year.