Assault accused remanded in custody

Sean McElhinney, of Jefferson Court, is charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault.

He is further charged with causing damage to a pair of glasses on October 17, last year.

Derry Magistrate’s Court heard the 19-year-old allegedly assaulted a woman by kicking her repeatedly to the legs.

He also allegedly squeezed her by the throat and slapped her face, knocking her glasses off.

The defendant was released on bail with a 7.00 p.m. curfew, however, he breached last weekend.

McElhinney was arrested and he told police he had consumed ‘six wingers and a bag of coke.’

Opposing bail, an investigating officer said the defendant had breached bail eight times and police had no confidence he would abide by conditions in future.

Defence solicitor, Keith Kyle, said it was accepted ‘there is not a good bail history in this case’ and his client had spent around six months on remand as a result.

District Judge Barney McElholm said the teen had been on bail to ‘regulate his behaviour.

“If I don’t do something about the breach he will laugh at the entire system’ he added.

The judge revoked bail and McElhinney was remanded in custody until March 30th.