Patient who allegedly threatened to kill ward manager at Lagan Valley

Although granted bail at Craigavon Magistrates Court, 29-year-old Dean James Kennedy was only to be released once police had approved any proposed bail address.

Kennedy, from Flush Park in Lisburn, was in court accused of issuing a threat to kill on February 21 this year.

A prosecuting lawyer told the court how Kennedy allegedly told a nurse that he would kill the manager of ward 12 at Laganvalley Hospital “intending that he would fear the threat would be carried out.”

A police officer said she believed she could connect Kennedy to the offence and in releasing him in his own bail of £500, District Judge Oonagh Mullan barred the defendant from going back to the psychiatric ward at the hospital.

Ordering him to appear at Lisburn Magistrates’ Court on Monday, Judge Mullan told Kennedy he would either appear in person if he perfected his bail or by video link if he was still in custody.