Kneed teenager in head and kicked him on ground

Michael Thompson (18), Beaumont Square, Lurgan, was also given a suspended sentence for assault occasioning actual bodily harm on December 9, 2017.

The court heard that the injured party reported to police that at around 11pm he had been assaulted by Thompson who was known to him and they had been friends since primary school.

He said he had been approached in William Street by the defendant who asked him to go behind the Spar shop.

There, while someone else was videoing what was happening, Thompson punched the victim in the face several times.

He then pulled the injured party’s hood over his head before kneeing him in the head and then kicking him while he was on the ground.

The victim suffered bruising to his temple and several ribs were bruised.

When interviewed Thompson said he just remembered losing his temper and admitted punching and kneeing him in the head as well as kicking him in the stomach and shoulder while he was on the ground.

District Judge, Mrs Bernie Kelly, said it was an exceptionally nasty incident and the victim was only 17 at the time.

A barrister representing Thompson said the argument arose from a video of a female and his client and the injured party had been friends before this incident.

He added that this was fuelled by immaturity feeling he should do something to protect the honour of this girl.

The lawyer said there had been nothing since this incident and Thompson, who came from a well respected family in the Lurgan area, had kept his head down.

He added the defendant had just started a job and there were many positives in his life and he was ashamed of what had happened. He now had nothing to do with the other young man and the girl was out of the picture.

Judge Kelly told Thompson he had been trying to visit as much damage as possible on the other person.

She added that he could have killed him and be standing in the crown court looking at a sentence of years rather than months.

Looking at his record she noted that this offence happened on the 9th and he was behaving exceptionally badly in a pub the next day.

The judge imposed a four month custodial sentence which she suspended for two years.

“I hope the suspended sentence will keep you on the straight and narrow for the next two years,” she said.