Man appears before court accused of attempted murder and kidnap

Glenn Allen Sheridan (43), of Florence Walk, Belfast, is also charged with arson of a car. The charges relate to October 11 this year. He appeared via video link from custody in Antrim. He confirmed he understood the charges.

Four other men have already been charged to court. They are David Coleman (36), of Fountain Place in Ballymena; Mark Bradshaw (51), of High Street in Ballymena; David Philip Cherry (39), of Waveney Park, Belfast and Sean Davies (38), of Queen’s Park, Saintfield.

A Detective Inspector said he believed he could connect Sheridan to the charges.

A previous court heard a man had been spotted lying in a field by a passing bin lorry and he was only wearing Boxer shorts and shoes.

The man was severely injured and had a stab wound in his chest close to his heart and other injuries included a skull fracture, a detached and broken jaw and a slice across his face. The man was in intensive care for a number of weeks. The man’s car was found burnt out at a lane on a rural part of the Doury Road near Ballymena.

At Thursday’s Court the Detective Inspector said police believed Sheridan was in a property when the man was attacked and had “laughed along”.

The officer alleged Sheridan was in possession of a knife and hatchet which he used to threaten the injured man to get him to a car and then pushed him into the boot. The Detective Inspector said police believe Sheridan struck the man in the field with the hatchet.

An earlier hearing heard following telecommunication enquiries police made arrests on November 3 and during searches phone handsets were seized.

The court heard following a “lengthy recovery” after coming out of sedation and having surgery, the victim made a statement to police on November 19, alleging he was invited to Coleman’s property at Fountain Place in Ballymena to “pack cocaine” due to him having an “outstanding debt” to Coleman. The victim alleged Cherry went through the victim’s phone and it was alleged the victim was accused of “hacking customers phones” and “taking customers” from Coleman. The victim claimed Cherry had “laughed along” and “encouraged” Coleman to assault the victim.

The victim, the police officer told the court, claimed Coleman produced a knife which was heated on a gas hob before stabbing him in the chest and putting it in his mouth and “slashing his face deeply”. The victim also alleged he was forced to strip and clean up his own blood at Coleman’s address. The victim then alleged he was put in the boot of a car and had been threatened with a knife and a hatchet and had lost consciousness.

The police officer said when the victim was dumped those responsible believed he was either dead or close to death. The officer said doctors had told how the victim was “within an hour from death” from blood loss or possibly hypothermia.

A defence barrister for Sheridan said it was a “circumstantial link” because the injured party had only made reference to a person called “Chalky”.

At the same court, Bradshaw had a bail application refused.

The court heard at least one or two other people were still being sought by police.

District Judge Nigel Broderick refused bail for Sheridan saying there appeared to be CCTV connecting Sheridan to a co-accused.

Sheridan’s case was adjourned to January 13.