Threw breeze block through bathroom window of a Portadown home, Craigavon court hears

The 27-year-old appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court on Friday via video link from Maghaberry Prison.

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Malachy McCann, aged 27, from Oakfield Close, Moy, pleaded guilty to criminal damage and assaulting police.

Police attended a report of anti-social behaviour at Ballybay Avenue, Portadown, at around half past twelve at night on April 30 this year.

The reporting party said that shortly before the attack two men had walked up the pathway of his property and knocked the door.

When he didn’t answer, he claimed the two men made the way to another property.

The resident of the second address told police two unknown males approached the back of the property and had thrown a breeze block through a window which shattered and the breeze block landed on his bathroom floor.

He added that another breeze block was thrown at a window panel in his back door which caused a crack in the glass. Police viewed the incident on CCTV.

At 1.45am officers were conducting vehicle check points at the Garvaghy Road area of Portadown when they stopped a vehicle with two males matching the description of the suspects.

They also saw a breeze block in the footwell of the back passenger seat, similar to that used in the incident earlier.

Both males "showed aggression” to police when arrested and put in handcuffs. McCann “lashed out at police and headbutted” one of the officers.

During interview he told police he had been drinking and taking drugs but denied being involved in the incident.

The damage caused to the NIHE house was £249.49. McCann’s barrister Mr Joel Lindsay said his client is "mortified of himself”.

"He was trying to make an effort having just got out of custody but found himself intoxicated,” said the barrister, adding his client was collected by two other men and ended up in the rear of the vehicle.

He said McCann was in such a “highly intoxicated state” he was taken to Craigavon Area Hospital.

Mr Lindsay conceded his client is in difficulties as he is in breach of a suspended sentence. He pointed out McCann has already spent up to seven weeks in custody as he was unable to get bail.

Deputy District Judge Sean O’Hare described this incident as “very serious and shocking behaviour attacking someone with breeze blocks through their window” as well as “the headbutting of an officer”.

Mr Lindsay said the officer had been taking his client out of the car and the headbutt was to the right ear area.

The Deputy District Judge said: “Nonetheless he wasn’t getting out of the vehicle quietly. He was on drink and drugs at the time having just attacked some man’s house with a breeze block.”

A Prosecutor revealed the officer suffered pain and redness to the side of the head due to the headbutt.

McCann received a three months jail term for both offences and concurrent to each other. The Deputy District Judge enacted the three months suspended sentence to run consecutively.

McCann was ordered to pay £122.75 restitution and £25 Offender Levy.