Man before Derry court charged with witness intimidation

Curtis Rodgers (28) of Duddy's Court in Derry was charged with one count of witness intimidation on August 28 this year.

A breach of bail was also accepted during the hearing before the Magistrate’s Court in the city on Friday. The court was told the breach involved a bail condition which had instructed that Rodgers was not supposed to have any contact with the alleged victim, his former partner.

A police officer connected the accused to the charge and opposed bail during the hearing.

He told the court that Rodgers was currently on bail for a number of offences that were 'going through the system'.

The court heard that the woman claimed that on August 28 her former partner Rodgers from a 6 month relationship contacted her to say he would kill himself if she did not drop the charges.

The police officer said that Rodgers had 67 previous convictions and was deemed as a violent perpetrator of domestic abuse and he said that police felt no conditions would be suitable.

Defence solicitor Paddy MacDermott said that it was an unusual type of witness intimidation in that the defendant was threatening to harm himself.

He said that Rodgers could be excluded from the city if released on bail.

District Judge Conor Heaney said that Rodgers was not a suitable candidate for bail and remanded him in custody to appear again on September 17.