Man ‘reached end of tether’ with stepson and punched him

Brian William Francis Girvan (52), Darling Avenue, Lurgan, admitted assaulting the victim on May 10 and July 26 this year.

For each offence he was fined £200 and ordered to pay the injured party £50 compensation.

The case had been adjourned from a previous court so that a pre-sentence report could be obtained.

A public prosecutor said that police were called to Glenavon Crescent in Lurgan where the injured party claimed he had been punched in the face by the defendant and had slipped down the stairs.

When he attended at Lurgan police station he made an allegation of a previous assault, saying he had been pushed against a fridge and punched in the face which caused him to fall to the ground.

A solicitor representing the defendant said there was been ongoing matters with the stepson and his mother.

He added that a non molestation order had been taken out against the injured party after a litany of occasions of him going to the house and causing a disturbance.

The solicitor said that on these two occasions Girvan accepted he lost his temper and at ‘the end of his tether’ struck the injured party.

He explained there was a court order to keep the young man away from the house. Girvan was pushed to the limit on these occasions and would apologise for his behaviour. The pre-sentence report assessed him as a low risk of re-offending.