Sentence deferred in case against 'partially clothed' Portadown man who attacked woman's car

William Stephen Samuel Gibson, aged 33, from Parkmore in Craigavon appeared at Craigavon Magistrates Court on Friday charged with disorderly behaviour and criminal damage on December 2 last year.

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The court heard that on December 2 last year, a witness heard a ‘commotion’ near her home in Princess Gardens in Portadown. She saw the defendant in the square who appeared to be drunk and was kicking and banging on the door of another property.

The witness saw the defendant kick a car, walked onto the square, tripped over a kerb and then walked into the back of a bus. Later she saw two members of the public restraining the defendant on the ground. He had been shouting but the witness could not make out what he was saying.

The witness described seeing a topless male intoxicated, wearing a woolly hat and shouting and screaming at approximately 7.30 that morning.

The prosecutor said: “She observed this male, believed to be the defendant, trying the handle of a car whilst the driver was in it. The vehicle drove to get away from the defendant. The injured party was in her own car and then witnessed the defendant kick the side of her vehicle and hit the top of the car with his fist. She did confirm no damage was caused.”

Defence solicitor Richard Monteith asked for a deferred sentence but District Judge Bernie Kelly said she wondered if someone rules themselves out of options, it doesn’t leave her with many sentencing options left.

Mr Monteith asked for a deferment in sentencing.

"This must have been an unbelievably frightening experience for the injured party,” said the district judge. “Here is the picture. Here is a young lady I presume heading to work first thing in the morning minding her own business and she is approached by a partially clothed, loud male who is clearly on something. Therefore she has to assume the worst.

"You cannot have people, for whatever reason behaving in this fashion and especially with the record that he has. It is a very poor record,” she said, to which Mr Monteith responded that previous matters has previously been with alcohol.

Mrs Kelly said: “I have no doubt this young lady was placed in a significant position of fear and I mean a significant position of fear what she was unlikely to know what was going to happen next.

"This would have been a completely harrowing experience for this young lady. I should not have to spell out what thoughts would have been going through her mind at that time of the morning. Every one of her worst fears would have been floating to the front of her mind. All because of you.

"Whatever that was that prompted you to behave in this fashion on this occasion you need to remove from your lifestyle choices,” said the District Judge, adding she would defer sentencing for six months to see if Gibson would refrain from misbehaving including any manner in which a police officer has occasion to speak to him and banned him from taking alcohol and illegal drugs.