Man appears in court accused of attempting to murder police officer

Noel David Quigley, of Celandine Court, is charged with the attempted murder of a police officer on April 17.

The 42-year-old was shot by police during the alleged incident and was treated in hospital for injuries to his chest.

Derry Magistrate’s Court heard that the 42-year-old contacted police to report that he was going to harm himself.

Police attended his home and it is alleged Quigley was sitting in the living room with a knife in each hand.

It is alleged he attempted to harm himself and police intervened and tried to reason with him.

The court heard that police used an ‘irritant spray’ during the intervention and it is alleged Quigley then ‘lunged at police with both knives’.

He was warned to drop them and it is alleged he began lashing out, ‘stabbing and slashing about the head’ of a police constable.

It is alleged this attack only stopped when another police officer used his firearm.

An investigating officer told the court the defendant was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital and was arrested on April 19.

She added that he was taken for interview once he was discharged from hospital on April 25.

The officer also told the court that the police constable sustained puncture wounds to his right arm and a number of cuts to his head.

Opposing bail, the officer said police have concerns that Quigley poses a danger to himself and to the public.

She said the 42-year-old has 15 previous convictions for assaulting police and these range from him biting police to headbutting, kicking and punching officers as well as making threats to stab police with syringes.

The officer said that on occasion the defendant has bitten police officers and told them he has AIDs or Hepatitis B.

The officer said police have concerns the defendant will reoffend, particularly if he consumes alcohol.

Defence counsel Eoghan Devlin told the court his client had provided a statement during police interview detailing his account of the alleged incident.

He said that in this statement Quigley claims he panicked after the spray was used because it was ‘overpowering’ and admitted that he struggled with police.

However, the defendant also said he was not trying to stab any officer.

Mr Devlin said the bullet fired ‘went through Quigley’s arm, enters his chest. enters his lung and goes out the back of his body breaking three ribs’.

He said it was his understanding that the police officer did not sustain any injury, adding that no allegations of injury or of ‘stabbing or slashing’ were put to his client during police interview.

Deputy District Judge Chris Holmes said he wanted to see a medical report in respect of the police officer and adjourned the bail application until tomorrow.

Quigley was remanded in custody until April 28.