Threatened his brother by text

As a result, the defendant was made the subject of a restraining order at Craigavon Magistrates Court.

Jonathan Samuel Carson, Murray Wood, Waringstown, admitted two charges of improper use of communications to cause anxiety on May 28 this year.

The court heard that at approximately 6pm on that date, the injured party - the defendant’s brother - reported to police that he had received two text messages.

He claimed the defendant had threatened to kill him and this was causing him to be fearful.

On May 30, Carson was spoken to by police and confirmed his mobile number. He was arrested and his phone seized. He said: “Okay”.

The public prosecutor also told the court there would be an application for a restraining order.

A barrister representing the defendant said he lived with his elderly parents and there was a breakdown in relations between the brother and the family.

She added that her client was acting as a go-between and there had been a good relationship with his brother.

But, the lawyer added, when they bumped into each other in the GP surgery, the defendant’s brother totally ignored him and Carson took umbrage.

She said that the defendant accepted that he sent the text messages but was not going to carry forward any of the threats contained in the messages.

District Judge Des Perry said there could be another way of dealing with this and adjourned the case while discussions took place with the prosecution and defence.

When the hearing resumed, the prosecutor said that the defendant had been cautioned and the charges could be withdrawn.

However, Carson was made the subject of a five-year restraining order forbidding from pestering, harassing or annoying his brother.