Jailed for injuring girl with broken glass

A four year old girl sustained a cut to her eye after glass from a broken window fell on top of her, a court has heard.

Shane Coyle, of Strand Foyer, was jailed for four months after pleading guilty to charges arising from the incident.

They include common assault, criminal damage and disorderly behaviour between May 5 and May 17.

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Derry Magistrate’s Court heard the girl was walking along the Strand Road with her mother when the broken glass fell down on top of them.

She sustained a cut to her right eye and a scratch to her cheek.

Police spoke to Coyle and he began shouting. He told the officers ‘see the guy who got blown up in Belfast yesterday, you f****** are next’.

The court heard that another woman was also injured by the broken glass after the 20-year-old broke the window.

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She received small bumps to her head and there was damage caused to her car.

Defence counsel Eoghan Devlin told the court the ‘potential consequences of the criminal damage in this case do not bear thinking about’.

He said the 20-year-old wished to apologise for his behaviour.

Jailing the defendant, District Judge Barney McElholm said ‘he is lucky that this little girls’ eye was not put out’.

The judge agreed to release Coyle on bail pending appeal. The defendant was released on his own bail of £500 and banned from consuming alcohol and non-prescribed drugs.