Man (75) who told his wife he was going to kill her 'slowly over a few days' now admits breaching a Non-Molestation Order

Stewart John Nicholl (75), with an address listed as Strangford Heights in Newtownards but now with a new address at Castle Espie near Comber, breached the Order by going to a property at Islandmagee on April 12 this year.

A defence barrister told Ballymena Magistrates' Court it was a technical breach.

The case has been adjourned to July 24 for a pre-sentence report.

In January in an earlier case, the defendant was given a five months jail sentence after his wife was left lying on the floor for two hours after being slapped and kicked by Stewart who told her: "I am going to kill you and it is going to be done slowly over a few days".

In that case he pleaded guilty to charges of assault; threat to kill; threatening or abusive behaviour; and criminal damage to a mobile phone strap.

The court heard the defendant had taken his wife's mobile phone to stop her calling for help but she was able to drag herself into a bathroom and use an Apple watch to contact police.

A prosecutor said that on October 27 last year police were called to an address in Islandmagee by the woman.

She said her husband had taken her phone and pushed her to the floor.

A prosecutor said the woman, aged in her 70s, "uses crutches to get around" and was unable to get to her feet.

Whilst on the ground she said she was slapped twice on the face by the defendant who kicked her on the back and twisted her arm.

The woman told police she had been lying in the hallway "for nearly two hours" and the defendant refused to get help for her and instead subjected her to "constant verbal abuse".

She told police her husband said to her: "You won’t need your phone. I am going to kill you and it is going to be done slowly over a few days".

At one stage she was able to "physically pull herself" to a bathroom and lock the door.

The court heard the woman was able to use an Apple watch to call 999. Police arrived and found her "on the floor" in a "distressed" state in the bathroom.

A defence barrister said it was acknowledged it was an "appalling set of facts".

He said the defendant pleaded guilty but had a "different interpretation" as to some of what actually happened.

The barrister added: "It is a very, very, sad case. The parties have been together for over 50 years".

District Judge Nigel Broderick had said: "These facts are, quite frankly, harrowing".

He told Nicholl he had re-read his wife's statement and added: "The horrors your put her through are nothing short of despicable.”

The judge said the defendant had "minimised" his responsibility when spoken to by Probation and "essentially blamed the victim in some way for what happened".

Judge Broderick said he was enhancing the sentence because it involved domestic abuse and he jailed Nicholl for five months in January when a Non-Molestation Order was also put in place until the end of 2025.