Portadown man attacked a father and son causing 'extensive facial injuries' in a 'unprovoked' 3am attack in Lurgan, a Craigavon court hears

Patrick Joseph Sheppard, aged 37, from Garvaghy Gardens, Portadown, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court on Friday pleading guilty to three sets of charges including assault causing grievous bodily harm and criminal damage.

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Sheppard’s barrister Ms Ciara Ennis said her client may benefit from a Pre-Sentence Report.

District Judge Michael Ranaghan said he didn’t think a report would serve any purpose. “Ultimately this is a custodial sentence,” he said. “When I am looking at the raft of charges here, the only outcome is custody."

Police attended at Garvaghy Gardens, Portadown on June 19 this year at 11.43am following a report that the defendant was in the area in breach of his bail. While there he was trying to escape out of the bathroom and was spotting trying to climb out of a rear window. He was arrested and brought to a police vehicle.

At the scene the defendant asked to smoke a cigarette. “His behaviour started to become irate, backing off into the officers,” said a Prosecutor, adding he caused a “dent” to the car.

Police took him to the ground and applied limb restraints. Sheppard "hit his head off the ground a number of times”. He was arrested for criminal damage and resisting police.

In another incident on March 27 this year police attended Craigavon Area Hospital for an un-related matter and observed a verbal altercation in the main lobby between more than four people and the defendant. Both Sheppard and the injured party had been “arguing in each other’s faces” when police saw the defendant hit the victim.

"A fight ensued and police detained the defendant and removed him from the hospital,” said the Prosecutor, adding Sheppard told police in custody he had taken drugs and was taken back to Craigavon Hospital where he urinated in the back of police van. She added the defendant was arrested for criminal damage, assault and disorderly behaviour.

In another incident on January 28, 2024, at around 3am police were tasked to a disturbance at William St, Lurgan. Police spoke to numerous people including the injured parties and noted they had “extensive injuries to their facial area”.

The incident was captured on the town’s CCTV camera. “It shows the defendant walking across William Street straight towards the injured parties before striking one man to the head, causing him to fall to the ground,” said the Prosecutor.

He is then said to have struck the injured man’s father “a number of times to the head” before running off towards the town centre.

The first man attended Craigavon Hospital for treatment for lacerations to his head which required staples, a fractured eye socket and cheek bone which required surgery with a metal plate inserted. His father received a number of cuts to the top of his forehead.

Ms Ennis said the last matter had been listed for contest and the defence had to wait “considerable time” for the video footage plus delays in getting into prison to see Sheppard.

"That incident appears to be completely unprovoked,” said Ms Ennis, adding her client has a “considerable record” though there was a break in his record of eight years.

She said he had been in a stable relationship and abstaining from alcohol. “Once that relationship broke down the wheels seemed to have fallen off,” said Ms Ennis, adding her client has been before the court for similar offending and there have been custodial sentences.

"While he’s been in prison during this period of remand he has been availing of alcohol courses. He’s very aware that alcohol and him do not mix,” she said.

In relation to the dispute at the hospital, Ms Ennis said there had been a dispute between the injured party and her client. “At that stage it was verbal, it was in the hospital. Mr Sheppard himself was in the hospital quite legitimately trying to address his own mental health issues. And upon arrest he had to return to the hospital to receive treatment,” she said.

"It is accepted that offences in the hospital are an aggravating feature,” she said and pointed out that while the matter had been listed for contest on Wednesday, there was a “viable self defence” her client pleaded guilty as he “just wanted the matter dealt with”.

"Custody is inevitable and I would just ask Your Worship to consider the totality principle,” she said. “He has six months on remand which will really only come into play in relation to the offence of June 19 this year.”

District Judge Michael Ranaghan described the assaults on the father and son the most serious of the offences describing it as “totally unprovoked” and had a “significant impact” on the victim.

For the assault causing actual bodily harm he was sentenced to six months in jail which is to run concurrently to the seven months term he received for the grievous bodily harm offence.

For common assault, disorderly behaviour and criminal damage he was also given five months for each offence, also to run concurrently.

For the criminal damage and resisting police charges, he was given five months jail term for each to run concurrently.

District Judge Ranaghan said: “The total sentence today is one of seven months. That is perhaps half of what it would have been if you hadn’t listened to the advice (legal) that you received.”