Trainee solicitor assaulted girlfriend

Kevin McDaid, whose address was given on court papers as Ormeau Road, Belfast, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm on December 2 last year.

The 31-years-old denied a further charge of causing damage to a police car on the same date.

Derry Magistrate’s Court heard a member of the public contacted police to report that the defendant was lunging in and out of a car in the Princes Terrace area and a female was screaming.

Officers found the injured party inside the car and she was ‘visibly upset’ and intoxicated at the time.

She was bleeding from her mouth and from a cut above her left eye and said she had been assaulted by her boyfriend.

The injured party went to hospital to receive treatment for injuries which included two black eyes; a cut which required three stitches; a cut to her nose and mouth and soft tissue swelling to her face.

The court heard she had to have a CT Scan and X-rays to assess her injuries.

McDaid was released on bail with a number of stringent conditions and banned from having any contact with the injured party.

The defendant breached this condition on Christmas Day by contacting the woman by telephone and messages on Facebook.

On New Year’s Day, McDaid sent text messages, Facebook messages and Snapchat messages to the injured party and spoke to her on the phone.

The court heard the woman repeatedly told the defendant to stop contacting her and ‘own up to what you have done.’

It was revealed the defendant also sent a three page email to the injured party and that contact left her feeling ‘suicidal’ because she believed she would not be protected from any contact.

Opposing bail, an investigating officer said police have concerns McDaid wouldcommit further offences or interfere with the witness.

Defence solicitor, Paddy MacDermott, said his client had now admitted the offences and ‘will have to face the consequences of that.’

He added that the guilty plea should provide ‘some reassurance’ to the injured party and her family.

The solicitor told the court his client claims the assault took place ‘in the context of a drunken argument in which he was trying to stop her driving the car after consuming alcohol.’

However, Mr. MacDermott added McDaid accepts this ‘went beyond reasonable force’ and was ‘absolutely disgraceful.’

The solcitor said the repercussions for the defendant’s career will be ‘catastrophic’ and will have ‘devastating consequences for his life.’

District Judge Barney McElholm said he had seen pictures of the injured party following the assault and they were ‘horrific.’

He warned McDaid his liberty is ‘very much in jeopardy. “This man better get used to the fact that it is a very, very serious matter to leave a young lady in that state.”

The judge released the defendant on bail with conditions until January 19.