Court hears allegation that man had ‘glove with razor blades stuck to it’

The claim was heard about at Ballymena Magistrates Court where Patrick Tobin (31), with an address listed as Regents Park, was remanded in custody charged with two assaults relating to November 10 this year. The defendant appeared via video link from custody.

Objecting to bail a police officer said police received a “third party report” of a domestic incident involving Tobin and his partner, the injured party. The officer said the woman said she was the victim of two assaults by Tobin, saying that as she prepared to take a friend’s child to school, Tobin said: ‘Where the f**k are you going?’ and he punched her on the head. The officer said the woman said when she returned she was “immediately grabbed by the throat” by Tobin which caused her to fall back. The woman told police she had a bruise and a lump under her hairline. The woman said her partner was “extremely violent” and claimed he had told her the previous night that when he was “finished” with her, “nobody would recognise” her. The officer said the defendant denied the first assault claiming the woman had been outside and had thrown a recycling box at a window. He said the second incident was “self defence” when he pushed her back after claiming his head was cut by a door swinging back onto him by the woman kicking it. The officer said it was the sixth incident of domestic violence this year.

The court heard Tobin had a record both in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The officer said the defendant pleaded guilty to another incident earlier this year when he “threatened to cut her face off” and had “adapted a weapon by putting tape around a knife stating it was going to give him better grip”. The PSNI woman said the woman told police about Tobin “making a glove with razor blades stuck to it” and claimed he “carries a blade in his clothing and it would be possible to slice someone’s face”. The officer said no weapons were found when the defendant was searched.

The officer said Tobin is originally from the Republic of Ireland and has convictions for “violent offences” including “attempted murder” and “adult sexual offences” and is a “registered sex offender”.

A defence solicitor claimed the defendant had been “invited” to live with the woman but “things have broken down” and “he would be submitting that she is making these allegations with a view to having him removed from the premises”.

The lawyer said Tobin wants to “terminate” the relationship and would be pleading not guilty to the charges.

District Judge Nigel Broderick refused bail saying the defendant had a “poor” criminal record, especially in the Republic of Ireland. He said there was a risk of further offences and potential interference with the witness.

The case has been adjourned to December 9.