Sentry Hill assault victim having ‘constant nightmares’ - mother

Wilma Stewart was speaking about her son, Adam Robinson, at Ballymena Magistrates Court, during a bail application on behalf of one of three people accused of his attempted murder and false imprisonment.

Mr Robinson was discovered with serious injuries in a bin in the town’s Sentry Hill park on September 3.

During a bail application on behalf of Paula Wilson (20), of Millfield, Mrs Stewart was asked by District Judge Desmond Perry to enter the witness box to update the court on her son’s condition.

She said that while Adam’s physical injuries were healing, his “mental injuries go a lot deeper”.

She said that he is taking “very strong anti-depressants”, is having trouble sleeping and when he does, he suffers from “constant nightmares”.

Earlier, defence counsel for Wilson, Andrew Moriarty, had handed into court printouts of Facebook messages posted by Adam on September 24 in which he referred to “getting a kicking more often LOL” in reference to the level of support he had received from friends.

Mr Robinson also altered the lyrics of a song by rapper Eminem in a post in which he said: “Guess who’s back; back again; Robbo’s back; tell a friend.”

He had also posted the comment “Justice for Robbo ha ha ha”, the court was told.

Mr Moriarty said he believed the injured party’s posts indicated “a certain light-hearted attitude being taken by Mr Robinson to the entire matter” as opposed to the “ongoing traumatic effect” which had been mentioned at a previous court appearance.

However, in response, the injured man’s mother told the court: “This was the first time he had gone on to Facebook (since the incident) to thank his friends for the support he had been shown.

“That’s Adam’s way of coping...maybe trying to save face with his friends as well.”

Mrs Stewart said that she was opposed to Wilson being granted bail as she didn’t want “to meet this girl down the street”.

Wilson, who is jointly charged along with Teri Christopher Bernard Lau (26), of Dunclug Park, and David Roddy Patterson (26), of Glendun Drive, had previously been released on bail but had subsequently revoked bail at her own request.

Mr Moriarty said there was “no evidence” of any risk of interference with witnesses by Wilson.

But the judge refused bail, saying that in the event of the “mentally fragile” Mr Robinson meeting any of the accused, it “might put him over the edge and place him in a position not to give evidence”.

Wilson was remanded in custody to appear again, via videolink, on November 14.