Latest news with #AntrimMagistratesCourt
The Independent
5 days ago
- The Independent
Pensioner faces court after extradition from Bulgaria on sex abuse charges
A pensioner extradited to Northern Ireland from Bulgaria on sex abuse charges has been remanded into custody. David Wilson, 77, with an address given as Slane Road, Carnlough, appeared before Antrim Magistrates' Court on Thursday afternoon. He is facing 18 charges, including of indecent assault and rape in the County Antrim area in the 1970s and 1980s. Earlier, police said the man was arrested in Bulgaria on June 10 2025 before being returned to Northern Ireland on Thursday. At court, a police officer said they were opposing bail. 'Mr Wilson was conveyed from London last night into the custody of the PSNI, and then brought before the court today on foot of that warrant,' they said. A defence lawyer said there would not be an application for bail. 'Obviously he has been arrested in Bulgaria and brought here, he has no access to any family, he has been there for 19 years, no access to any money or anything of that nature,' he said. Wilson was remanded to custody. He is next to appear before the court on August 14.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Pensioner faces court after extradition from Bulgaria on sex abuse charges
A pensioner extradited to Northern Ireland from Bulgaria on sex abuse charges has been remanded into custody. David Wilson, 77, with an address given as Slane Road, Carnlough, appeared before Antrim Magistrates' Court on Thursday afternoon. He is facing 18 charges, including of indecent assault and rape in the County Antrim area in the 1970s and 1980s. Earlier, police said the man was arrested in Bulgaria on June 10 2025 before being returned to Northern Ireland on Thursday. At court, a police officer said they were opposing bail. 'Mr Wilson was conveyed from London last night into the custody of the PSNI, and then brought before the court today on foot of that warrant,' they said. A defence lawyer said there would not be an application for bail. 'Obviously he has been arrested in Bulgaria and brought here, he has no access to any family, he has been there for 19 years, no access to any money or anything of that nature,' he said. Wilson was remanded to custody. He is next to appear before the court on August 14.
Sunday World
18-06-2025
- Sunday World
Stalker installed covert camera in victim's house and tracking device on car
JAILED | Jailing Shaun Dougan, District Judge Nigel Broderick told the 40-year-old, 'I cannot imagine a worse case of stalking.' Shaun Dougan who was jailed today Jailing Shaun Dougan, District Judge Nigel Broderick told the 40-year-old that having heard the facts and read the Victim Impact Statement, 'I cannot imagine a worse case of stalking.' 'Clearly this is a serious case,' he told Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, 'it's not very often, thankfully, that the court has to sentence for stalking as it's a relatively new offence.' 'I have to say however, when I heard the facts and read the outline in the pre-sentence report, and in particular what I have read in the very detailed and thoughtful VIS, it's quite clear that your offending has had a profound effect on your former wife and the mother of your children,' he told Dougan. With the victim sitting in the public gallery just a few feet away from the dock, Judge Broderick told Dougan he was satisfied the case was so serious, it warranted an eight month prison sentence. Following an application by defence counsel Nadine Knight however, the judge granted bail pending an appeal of the prison sentence. Last month Dougan, from the Clooney Road in Ballymena and who runs the family furniture shop in Portglenone, entered a guilty plea to a single charge of stalking in that between 23 February and 7 April last year, he 'engaged in a course of conduct that amounted to stalking' and which caused the victim 'to suffer fear, alarm or substantial distress.' Initially, Dougan had also been charged with a number of other offences including harassment, unauthorised computer access, domestic abuse and the persistent improper use of a telecommunication network, but they were all dismissed after he admitted stalking. Opening the Crown case today, a prosecutor said those offences were all subsumed within the stalking offence which came to light in April last year after the victim discovered a tracking device had been attached to her car. She contacted police and told officers she suspected Dougan was the culprit but at that stage, 'there was no evidence to prove that.' Two days later however, she contacted police again 'to say that she had evidence to link him' to the device which had been cable tied behind the nearside, rear wheel. At that time, the victim also made a statement outlining a number of incidents which had happened over the previous two months including a friend alerting her that 'her ex-husband had accessed her Instagram account and had read private messages exchanged between the victim and a male friend.' That same day, Dougan 'arrived at her door in an irate state, shouting at her and calling her slurs including flea-ridden bitch and threatening that he would disclose messages to work colleagues.' The prosecutor told the court that having taken screenshots of the private messages, the victim felt that he was using them 'in an attempt to humiliate her and cause distress.' She changed her password but then received a notification that 'someone in the Ballymena area was trying to access her instagram account,' said the lawyer. Dougan sent the victim the screenshots of the messages, leaving her feeling 'embarrassed and distressed' and the court heard that he also sent multiple WhatsApp messages referring to the screenshots and to their children but 'in a way that she felt degraded as a mother.' Shaun Dougan who was jailed today News in 90 Seconds - June 17th A work colleague disclosed to the victim that Dougan had sent messages to her colleagues so 'the victim was forced to bring this to the attention of her manager,' perceiving his actions as intended to 'humiliate her in the work place.' The victim ended up having to take time off work and the court heard that on 3 March, in the space of a single day, Dougan called her a dozen times and bombarded her with 55 WhatsApp messages. He was threatening that he would disclose the screenshots to friends and neighbours if she did not respond to his messages. Having found the tracking device on 6 April, the following day the victim found a plug she had not seen before, at the back of her TV in the living room attached to a box which said 'amazon blink model 2.' 'She didn't know what it was but the following day, she was discussing the incidents with her manager and having to take time off work when her manager referred to her getting an amazon blink camera for peace of mind,' said the lawyer. It clicked with her then what the device was at the back of the TV and when she searched her home, the victim found a covert camera on top of the kitchen cupboards, an LED light covered in black tape. Arrested and interviewed, Dougan refused to answer police questions and he spent a month in prison before being granted bail. Lodging a plea in mitigation, Miss Knight conceded the marriage break down was 'particularly acrimonious' but that Dougan is 'entirely remorseful for his behaviour.' She told the court there had been 'ongoing tensions' between the couple and then when Dougan was told of an incident, 'he entirely overreacted and acted in a way that was unbecoming and unjustifiable.' 'He has expressed sincere remorse,' the barrister declare, adding that given his clear record, good work record and multiple character references, the court could follow the probation recommendation for an Enhanced Combination Order of community service and probation. Miss Knight confirmed that all of the people who 'put pen to paper' to write the various testimonials were all aware of the offences and what they entailed but Judge Broderick said the references 'do not sit well with the VIS.' 'Had the people you approached for references read the VIS, I think many, if not all of them, would have thought twice about giving a reference because the picture they pint is in no way connected to the experience of the victim,' said the judge. Imposing the jail sentence and five year restraining order, Judge Broderick then freed Dougan on £500 bail with conditions not to have any contact with the victim.
Sunday World
11-06-2025
- Sunday World
‘Obsessed' man accused of blackmailing and threatening ex partner refused bail
The complainant is in 'constant fear' that if Isaac Woods is freed 'he will contact her or turn up at her family home', court was told A man accused of blackmailing and threatening his ex-partner, a woman he is allegedly obsessed with, was refused bail for the third time today. A police officer told Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, the complainant is in 'constant fear' that if Isaac Woods is freed 'he will contact her or turn up at her family home.' Woods, 28, from Chaine Court in Antrim, is currently in custody on remand facing five offences, allegedly committed between 11-15 May this year, including stalking, blackmail, harassment, making a threat to destroy the complainant's home and domestic abuse. The court has heard previously that according to the police case, Woods sent six emails to his former partner where he 'has made threats to commit suicide' unless she unblocks his phone number and social media profiles. The distressed woman interpreted the mails as Woods 'trying to control her again by using threats of suicide,' as that was allegedly a pattern of behaviour during their relationship whereby he would ask for money and if that was refused, 'he would get angry and threaten suicide.' Two days after she received the emails, the woman went to work but when she returned home, her grandparents handed her the threatening note which had been pushed through the letterbox and when she read it, the woman recognised the handwriting as that of the defendant. The officer told the court the note had been written on a 'quite distinctive notepad' and when Woods was arrested, he had a phone number written on an identical piece of paper and a search of his home uncovered the actual notepad. The alleged victim is 'scared that he will show up at her work or her home address and his behaviour has became more erratic,' said the constable, 'she's scared of what he would do after the threats to burn the house.' During police interviews Woods 'either gave no comment or denied the offences,' but the earlier court heard how he was on police bail for other similar matters when he sent the emails. In court today, the officer submitted that by breaching police bail Woods has shown that he will not abide by bail conditions and 'there's a likelihood of reoffending.' Isaac Woods News in 90 Seconds - June 11th She revealed there had been a further alleged bail breach while Woods has been in custody, in that he told prison staff he wanted to call his mother but actually gave them the victim's phone number to ring. While Woods was proposing to live at an address in Randalstown, the court heard that was less than six miles from the injured party so 'police do not believe the address is suitable.' Defence counsel Grant Powles conceded that Woods had been refused bail when he first appeared and again by the High Court, but he argued the now proposed address was a sufficient change of circumstance and was a suitable bail address. He also suggested that bail conditions could be attached but District Judge Nigel Broderick said he was not satisfied the address was suitable and further that 'I'm concerned that he won't abide by conditions.' Refusing bail and remanding Woods back into custody, he adjourned the case until 8 July.
Sunday World
10-06-2025
- Sunday World
Bodybuilder jailed after assaulting two women outside Antrim bar
'And then you go and assault public servants, punching a female officer in the face,' said the judge. A Co. Antrim bodybuilder who admitted assaulting a woman outside a bar and punching a female police officer in the face when she went to arrest him, has been jailed for five months. Jailing Adrian Arthur Murray, District Judge Nigel Broderick told the 42-year-old that to his mind, 'you strike me as a man who is prone to acts of violence.' A prosecuting layer told Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, how police were called to Barney's Bar in Antrim over a report that a woman had been assaulted. Adrian Murray The court heard that believing Murray was not fit to drive, the victim remonstrated with him and he reacted by pushing her away with such force that she fell back and struck her head on the ground. She was left with a two inch gash to the back of her head and police who were called, were able to identify Murray from CCTV footage of the incident. When officers attended at his home a short time later, Murray told them 'you won't be arresting me' and lashed out violently, leaving a female officer with cuts and a black eye after he punched her in the face. He also assaulted two of her male colleagues, punching one to the face and kicking the other to the leg but he was eventually arrested and taken into custody. Adrian Murray News in 90 Seconds - Tuesday June 10 Earlier this year Murray, from Linenhall Street in Ballymena, admitted one charge of causing the woman actual bodily harm, three charges of assaulting police and single charges of resisting police and driving without a licence or insurance. Defence counsel Neil Moore conceded that Murray's actions had been 'unedifying behaviour' and further that although he had previous convictions, including for assault, there was nothing on his record since 2010. Jailing Murray, Judge Broderick said the bodybuilder was lucky the lady he assaulted outside the bar was not more seriously injured. He compared the incident to cases of 'one punch manslaughter' where a victim is felled and just like this lady, they strike their head on a hard surface 'and regrettably, that can result in a fatality.' 'And then you go and assault public servants, punching a female officer in the face,' said the judge, adding that "in my view the custodial threshold is crossed.' In addition to the five month prison sentence, the judge also imposed a two year restraining order and a £100 fine for the driving offence. Murray was however freed on £500 bail pending an appeal of the sentence.
