Teenager '˜attacked girlfriend with dog chain'

A teenager allegedly attacked his girlfriend with a dog chain after she tried to flee from his home, the High Court heard today.

Curtis Rodgers is also accused of spitting on her and cutting her with a ring as part of a three-day campaign of violence.

The 19-year-old, of Chestnut Place in Banbridge, Co Down, is charged with eight counts of common assault between April 23-25.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He also faces two counts of criminal damage linked to what the prosecution described as a “co-dependent relationship”.

Rodgers was granted bail but prohibited from part of the town where his girlfriend lives.

The alleged victim, aged between 18 and 20, told police he spat at her and smashed her phone when she first tried to run from his rented property.

“He is alleged to have hit her with a metal dog chain on the leg, verbally abused her and held her down on the sofa,” Crown lawyer Fiona O’Kane said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It was also claimed he called the woman a “Fenian b******” and a “dirty tramp” for making a noise while she was washing up.

In separate alleged incidents she was grabbed by the throat and dragged back to the house after managing to run away.

At one stage, Mrs O’Kane claimed, Rodgers found a ring she had lost and threw it at her, cutting her on the nose.

As the woman tried to climb out of a window after contacting her parents he allegedly smashed it around her, the court heard.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The injured party seems to suggest that... after coming down from the ingestion of drugs the applicant is quite aggressive and she’s in fear of him,” Mrs O’Kane added.

“They are both very young and police do have some concerns about this co-dependent relationship.”

However, the woman has since withdrawn her statement of complaint.

Rodgers insisted he only ever acted in self-defence, claiming she has assaulted him.

Defence counsel said: “The penny has dropped with this applicant that this relationship is not viable.”

Granting bail, Mr Justice Deeny ordered Rodgers to have no contact with the alleged victim.

Related topics: