Man once jailed for role in 'man in bin' incident in Ballymena is back before court for new offence
A man once jailed for his role after a man was left naked and battered in a taped-up wheelie bin at Sentry Hill park in Ballymena has been back before a court for a new offence of disorderly behaviour.
Roddy Patterson (38), with an address listed as c/o a prison but who is from Ballymena, appeared at Antrim Magistrates Court sitting in Ballymena on Tuesday, via video link from Magilligan Jail.
Last May he had been put on Probation for 18 months for disorderly behaviour but he was unable to complete it as he was subsequently jailed in November for other matters.
At court on Tuesday the Probation Order was revoked and replaced with a two months jail sentence to be served concurrently with his current prison sentence for which he has an expected release date of April this year.
Last May a court was told the defendant had been disorderly in Ballymena on July 11, 2023.
Police responded at 5.30am on July 11 to an address where the defendant was intoxicated and "yelling and shouting" at all persons present. He was removed from the house and continued to shout and swear outside.
In November last year he was jailed for eleven months for stealing over £1,000 worth of alcohol which he said he was selling to get money to fund a drug habit. That court heard he had 45 previous convictions.
In 2015, Patterson and another man were each sentenced to three and a half years for imprisoning a man who was found naked and battered in a taped-up wheelie bin in Ballymena in September 2013.
They both had pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm and false imprisonment. A woman was also sentenced for her role.
In sentencing, a judge had said a factor was the victim had been left suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. He said the victim truly believed he was going to die when he was left in a bin, unable to see and with limited air to breathe.
The attack happened after Patterson and others took part in a drink and drugs binge over 72 hours.
A defence solicitor told Tuesday's court that in prison the defendant had been on a drug substitute programme but had then gone "cold turkey" and is "doing very well".