Coleraine man receives suspended jail term following assault and incident involving poker in Ballymoney
A man who punched and swung a poker at a man has been given a suspended jail sentence.
Stephen McKibben (31), with an address listed as Rusky Park in Agivey near Coleraine, pleaded guilty to charges of assault; possessing a poker as an offensive weapon and possession of cocaine.
The defendant appeared at Ballymena Magistrates Court via video link from a police station.
A prosecutor said at 3.40am on December 4 this year police received a report of a male causing a disturbance at Gate End in Ballymoney.
The defendant had "armed himself with a fire poker" and when officers arrived McKibben was "being restrained" within a property.
A man said the defendant was his friend and had been staying at the property but that night he had "kicked off" and had to be removed from the house.
The prosecutor said a man attended to "try to calm the situation" but McKibben assaulted him by punching him twice on the nose.
The court was told the defendant was removed from the property at that point but hit out at windows and regained entry before grabbing a poker and swinging it in the direction of the man he had punched.
When arrested cocaine was found in the defendant's coat. The defendant, who had a previous record, told police he had "no recollection" of the incident.
He has now admitted all the offences. A defence barrister said the defendant had alcohol issues.
Deputy District Judge Austin Kennedy said it had been a "serious incident" and handed down a three months prison term, suspended for two years.