Ballymena court hears police had to 'spray' dog which a man set on them

Details were given to Ballymena Magistrates' Court where Alexander David Galloway (32), of Drumtara, was sentenced.

The defendant appeared at Ballymena Magistrates' Court via video link from prison.

On December 7 last year, a woman said she was in her kitchen when two males approached her window. She said one was the defendant who "demanded" that she hand over her medication to him.

She refused and Galloway then smashed the window and climbed in through it and started to look through her cupboards for medication without success.

The woman was in fear of being assaulted.

A number of attempts were made by police to locate the defendant but officers did not get him until December 26 at his home.

The defendant pushed a dog out the front door which "ran towards police" and to protect themselves "they used spray on the dog," a prosecutor said.

Meanwhile, on March 31 in 2022, a man was punched three or four times to the face by Galloway. The defendant left and returned five minutes later with another man and they kicked and punched the victim.

The other attacker has already been in court.

When arrested Galloway punched a police officer several times on the head and grappled with another officer. Incapacitant spray was used on the defendant. The defendant had pregabalin tablets.

DNA from the injured man was found on Galloway's trainers and tracksuit bottoms.

Meanwhile, on January 18 this year the defendant caused criminal damage to an electronic bail monitoring tag.

A defence barrister said the offences had been a "wake-up call" to the defendant who "wants to change his life".

District Judge Nigel Broderick said the defendant had spent a number of months in custody on the charges and handed down a six months prison term, suspended for two years. The defendant was also ordered to do 100 hours of Community Service and was put on Probation for a year.