41-year-old man jailed for assaulting sister

Patrick Joseph Stokes, of Drumard Park, pleaded guilty to assaulting his sister on February 24.

The 41-year-old also admitted assaulting her on October 28, last year.

Derry Magistrate’s Court heard there was a domestic violence history involving Stokes, his mother and his two sisters which contains reports of 40 incidents.

Earlier this week, Stokes kicked a table towards his sister hitting her on the legs with it. She did not sustain any injuries in the assault.

In October, Stokes slapped his sister across the face and she sustained redness to her nose and left eye.

The defendant refused to get up from a sofa when police arrived and they were ‘forced to drag him out of the property’.

The court heard the woman later attended the police station to withdraw her statement of complaint because ‘she didn’t want to see her brother in bother over Christmas’.

Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley told the court his client has a ‘lengthy relationship with alcohol’.

He added when Stokes has consumed too much alcohol he ‘resorts to violence’.

Jailing the defendant, District Judge Barney McElholm said Stokes shows a ‘pattern of behaviour whereby he cannot seem to go any length of time whatsoever without striking or being violent towards a female’.

He said ‘the court has already told this man this won’t be tolerated’.