Man accused of attempting to choke ex-girlfriend refused bail

Damien McGuinness, whose address was given on court papers as Mill Road, Newtownabbey, is accused of a total of 17 offences allegedly committed between March 19 and April 30.

The charges include assault occasioning actual bodily harm, criminal damage and attempting to choke, suffocate or strangle another person.

McGuinness is further charged with driving whilst disqualified, having no insurance and possession of a class B drug.

Derry Magistrate’s Court heard allegations that the defendant had arrived at his ex-girlfriend’s house, kicked the door and left.

Police stopped McGuinness driving along Academy Road and he was arrested for driving whilst disqualified and having no insurance.

The complainant made further allegations of a number of domestic incidents.

It is alleged during one of these, McGuinness dragged the woman to the ground and choked her, leaving her struggling to breathe.

The court heard the woman believed she was going to die during the assault.

It is further alleged he came back the following day and ‘threw her around like a rag doll’.

He also allegedly tried to choke her again, leading the complainant to believe she was ‘seconds from death’.

The court was told that during another alleged incident, McGuinness grabbed the woman by the throat and pushed her against the wall. He also allegedly threatened to kill her and another person.

It is further alleged McGuinness assaulted the woman while she was in the bath.

He allegedly hit her head off the bath and pushed her head under the water several times, before throwing her phone into the bath water.

During police interview, McGuinness denied the allegations.

Police opposed bail for fear of further offences and told the court there is a domestic violence history involving the former couple.

Defence counsel Eoghan Devlin said his client no longer resides in the city and given the distance between them his client ‘could be given the chance on bail’.

However, District Judge Peter King said this was a ‘compelling reasons against granting bail’ as it is alleged the defendant had driven for an hour and a half to commit these offences whilst disqualified from driving.

The judge said that McGuinness poses a risk to the complainant and added he had ‘very little faith I can impose any meaningful bail conditions to minimise the clear risk of reoffending in this case’.

McGuinness was remanded in custody until May 27.