Police spot man ‘dragging and pushing woman’

Thirty-five-year-old Vitali Spinu from Salters Bridge, Magherafelt, admitted a charge of common assault on November 3 last.

Deputy District Judge Noel Dunlop was told a routine police patrol in the Diamond area of the town observed the incident at approximately 10pm.

Prosecuting counsel said the woman broke free and the defendant caught up with her and pushed her.

She said police stopped and observed that the injured party’s hands had small cuts and she was intoxicated. Spinu was arrested and taken to Dungannon custody suite.

Defence lawyer Liam McStay said no complaint had been made by the injured party.

He pointed out that no evidence had been given as to how the injured party sustained the cuts to her hands which he said happened at her work.

Mr McStay explained that Spinu had put his hands on the injured party and was trying to get her to come to the car to take her home as she was intoxicated.

He said the police happened to be passing at the time and as a result the defendant spent a night in custody and ended up in court.

Mr McStay described Spinu as a hardworking young man who came here in 2006 and comes from a very high achieving family. He asked the court to regard the incident as “a one off.”