Portadown man accused of stalking and threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend is refused bail at Craigavon court

Lewis Lucas, aged 33, from Churchill Park, appeared via video link from Maghaberry Prison before Craigavon Magistrates Court.

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He faces three sets of charges. In the first set of charges he is accused of possessing an offensive weapon, namely a long metal black bar, with intent to commit grievous bodily harm and threats to kill a woman on July 13 this year.

In the second set of charges Lucas is accused of possession of an offensive weapon, namely a wheel brace, with intent to cause criminal damage, five counts of criminal damage, stalking a woman, possession of the Class C drug diazepam and assault on police – all on dates between May 19 and June 3 this year.

In a third set of charges Lucas is accused of threatening to damage property belonging to a woman on June 6 this year.

The last time Lucas applied for bail was in July, and police opposed the application.

A prosecutor outlined that on July 13, police were tasked to Alexandra Gardens in Portadown regarding an ongoing disturbance. The complainant and her mother spoke to police and claimed the defendant arrived at their property a short time earlier on a bicycle. Lucas is barred from having contact with both complainants.

Lucas is accused of going into an alleyway and shouting for the woman to ‘come out’ and that ‘he was going to kill her’.

He is accused of trying to get into the back of the property and kicking the locked gate to try and get in, taking ‘a long metal black rod’ from his trousers to hit the metal gate.

Later police received another report that Lucas was reportedly bleeding from a head injury after he was allegedly assaulted with a hammer. Police attended Churchill Park where they found Lucas against a fence and ‘being tended to by locals’.

Police observed injuries and he complained of a broken leg. Lucas claimed he was assaulted by the complainant and her partner with a ‘claw hammer’ but refused to make a statement or provide details. He denied being at the complainant’s address.

Regarding the second set of charges, Lucas is accused of being at the complainant’s address on June 2 and twisted the Ring door bell camera off so it didn’t cover where the woman’s car was parked. He is accused of attacking it with a wheel brace. The complainant allegedly witnessed this and recorded it on her mobile phone.

When he was challenged by a neighbour he is accused of ‘battering the neighbour’s fence with a wheel brace’ causing damage. The complainant claimed she was afraid Lucas might kill her.

"When police arrived they observed him wielding a metal bar,” said the prosecutor.

She said Lucas began wielding the metal bar at police who used ‘de-escalation tactics’ to get him to drop it.

The prosecutor added that while containing him, police believe they observed him take a quantity of tablets later believed to be diazepam.

He was taken to hospital due to the drug intake and it is claimed he spat at one of the police officers and repeatedly spat in the inside of the police vehicle.

The complainant claimed Lucas had been stalking her for two weeks after she broke up with her boyfriend who she had been dating since she broke up with Lucas in 2024.

"Lucas was following her around Portadown, loitering near her vehicle while she was at the shops and appeared several times at her home threatening to smash the house,” said the prosecutor.

On June 6 the complainant said she had been contacted by Lucas and claimed he had threatened to come to her property and burn her house down. The complainant shared a voice note from Lucas’ Facebook account but the defendant denied contacting her and sending the voice note.

When asked by District Judge Michael Ranaghan if the complainant is making a withdrawal statement, the prosecutor said police spoke with the complainant’s mother who said ‘her mental health is not good’.

“She heard that Mr Lucas is dying due to his illness and he doesn’t have long left and she is feeling guilty about his daughter,” said a prosecutor, adding that when the complainant reached out to speak through an intermediary she was told to drop the charges.

“Police said she has categorically said she has no intention of withdrawing the charges. She became almost hysterical at the prospect of him getting bail. She said she would harm herself if he gets bail as she thinks he will come and try and kill her so she might as well do it herself,” said the prosecutor.

Police spoke to HM Maghaberry and Lucas was not known to the medical department.

“He is not receiving any regular treatment in prison. If he was dying or very sick they would know about it,” the prosecutor said.

A police officer said they are ‘extremely concerned’ for the complainant who is deemed ‘high risk’.

“It is believed his behaviour is likely to escalate, putting the complainant at serious risk,” said the officer. “She is genuinely in fear he will try and kill her. She has mentioned in two of her statements ‘I was afraid if he got through the back gate he would murder me’.”

"It has been suggested he is exaggerating his condition in order to appeal to emotions of the complainant.”

Lucas’ barrister, Mr John Paul McCann, said his client has ‘issues’ including testicular cancer which he had surgery to remove ‘years ago’.

“There are on-going appointments in relation to that,” he said adding his client was ‘profoundly’ affected by the breakdown of this relationship which led to the reliance on drugs.

District Judge Ranaghan denied bail, saying Lucas presents a “risk of further offending” and a “real risk of interfering with witnesses”.

The case was adjourned until October 3.