Prosecutors withdraw dog leads charge

Conor Macauley Anthony Martin (23), of Station Road, Portstewart, faces other charges including making a threat to kill a man along with assaulting him and assaulting a woman and with being disorderly.

He is alleged to have committed the offences on September 23 this year.

A defence solicitor said the offences are denied and Mr Martin was released on continuing bail at Coleraine Magistrates Court until November 23.

* A Coleraine man has been ordered to pay £500 compensation to a woman who he hit by mistake during a fight.

Alistair Wright (21), of Willowfield Park, also has to do 150 hours of Community Service.

He had been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and with possessing an offensive weapon - a wheel brace - at Brook Street in Coleraine, on April 10 this year.

At Coleraine Magistrates Court last Monday, defence barrister Francis Rafferty said the case was “the fight where he hit the wrong person”. District Judge Liam McNally said he had convicted him on the basis that it was a reckless blow.

* A Coleraine woman has told a court it was a “mistake” to have have driven with excess alcohol.

Rebecca Sloan (21), of Gransden Court, was detected at Dunluce Avenue, Portrush, at 4am on October 12 this year.

She pleaded guilty to the charge when she appeared at Coleraine Magistrates Court on November 9 and was banned from driving for a year and fined £250. The defendant also told the court she would not commit such an offence again.

* A Portrush man, who has been jailed for six months, initially told police he had borrowed a Citizen watch from a friend but it turned out to have been stolen.

And Neil Henry (21), of Mark Street, also told officers a family member had given him a mobile phone. That was denied by the person in question.

Henry later admitted a charge of handling stolen goods and that he had lied.

Coleraine Magistrates Court was also told that CCTV operators in Coleraine town centre noticed men acting suspiciously and Henry was found to have stolen items worth over £80 from three stores.

Defence barrister Alan Stewart said Henry was a “vulnerable young man”.

Judge Liam McNally has asked for a pre-sentence report to be prepared regarding a Portstewart man who has pleaded guilty to being disorderly at the town’s promenade. Aaron Fielding (20), a chef of Cromlech Park, committed the offence on September 25.