Latest news with #BallymenaMagistratesCourt
BBC News
7 days ago
- BBC News
Larne: Woman pleads guilty to death by careless driving
A woman has pleaded guilty to causing death and grievous bodily injury by careless driving after a crash on the A8 near Ballynure in 2023. 78-year-old Isabel McCormick, of Glendale Park in Larne, admitted causing the death of John Wilson by driving carelessly on the 21 October 2023, and to causing grievous bodily injury to a female on the same date.61-year-old Mr Wilson died in hospital from his injuries, four days after his tractor was in a collision with a blue Ford Fiesta. Two other people were taken to hospital at the time. Defence counsel told Ballymena Magistrates' Court on Monday that the case would benefit from a pre-sentence report from the probation district judge freed Mrs McCormick and adjourned the plea and sentence to 23 September.
Sunday World
24-07-2025
- Sunday World
Pensioner jailed for abusing disabled wife breached non-molestation order after release
Stewart John Nicholl was jailed last January but Ballymena Magistrates Court heard today how a ring doorbell camera captured the 75-year-old at the home of his former wife A pensioner who was jailed after he subjected his disabled wife of more than 50 years to what a judge said was a 'frankly harrowing' domestic assault, breached a non-molestation order soon after he was released, a court heard today. Originally, Stewart John Nicholl was jailed last January but Ballymena Magistrates Court heard today how a ring doorbell camera captured the 75-year-old at the home of his former wife on 12 April this year. A prosecuting lawyer told the court that thankfully, the victim was not home at the time but she made the discovery on reviewing footage. She told police how Nicholl had been recorded going into the garage and retrieving tools before leave her Islandmagee home. As part of the original sentence, Nicholl was also handed a non-molestation order. In that case Nicholl, now with an address on the Castle Espie Road in Comber, entered guilty pleas to offences of making a threat to kill, assault, threatening behaviour and criminal damage. The court had heard that during an argument in the former marital home on 27 October last year, Nicholl pushed his wife to the floor and while the terrified lady was down, he took her phone, kicked her and 'slapped her to the face.' The lady, who has mobility issues and uses a crutch to get around, was not able to get up so she had to lie on the floor for several hours and a prosecuting lawyer told the court that all the while, Nicholl was subjecting her to verbal abuse. The lady managed to drag herself to the bathroom where she locked the door but Nicholl 'is stood outside giving a countdown' where he threatened that 'I am going to kill you and it's going to be done slowly, over a few days.' While Nicholl had taken his wife's mobile phone, thankfully she was wearing an Apple Watch and she was able to use that to call the police. The lawyer said that when officers arrived at the scene 'she was still in the bathroom on the floor and police helped her up,' adding that the pensioner was 'very distressed.' In court today, defence counsel Connel Trainor emphasised Nicholl's guilty plea and that despite being 75-years-old and with health problems, he still works. He suggested the pensioner would benefit from statutory intervention. When District Judge Nigel Broderick sentenced Nicholl for the original offences, he told the defendant 'these facts are quite frankly harrowing…the horrors you put her through are nothing short of despicable.' Today the judge told the pensioner seeing him around her home 'obviously would have been distressing and a source of concern' for his former wife. He told Nicholl that instead of sending him back to jail, 'just on balance,' he would impose a combination order of 12 months probation and 75 hours of community service, in addition to a further two-year restraining order. Stewart John Nicholl News in 90 Seconds - July 24th
Sunday World
11-07-2025
- Sunday World
Prolific shoplifter granny began crime spree just 24 hours after release from custody
Deirdre McKeown, a one-time diagnosed kleptomaniac who has 134 previous convictions, almost half of which are for theft. A recidivist thief with more than 100 previous convictions, began a spree of thefts less than 24 hours after she was released from police custody, a court has heard. Ballymena Magistrates Court also heard on Thursday, that Deirdre Anne McKeown used two different BMWs to commit the thefts in Ballymena and Ballymoney. Appearing in the dock 58-year-old McKeown, from the Ballymoney Road in the town, confirmed she understood the eight charges against her, committed between 29 April and 2 July this year. McKeown, a one-time diagnosed kleptomaniac who has 134 previous convictions, almost half of which are for theft, was charged with three counts of theft, four counts of going equipped for theft and one of careless driving. Giving evidence during a contested application for bail, a police officer said he believed he could connect McKeown to each of the charges, adding that police were objecting to bail due to the risk of further offending. Deirdre McKeown News in 90 Seconds - July 11th Highlighting that McKeown was only freed from police custody on 28 April over an alleged theft a few days earlier, he told the court it was the following day when she drove to the Spar on the Milltown Road in Ballymoney. Carrying a large shopping bag, she put various items in the bag and then left without making any effort to pay. Having dumped those items into her BMW, 'she went back into the Spar and committed the same offence, in the same way' before leaving again. The next day, she was back at the Spar but this time, she was using a leather shopping bag to steal 'mostly BBQ meats and other grocery items.' McKeown left but as she tried to drive away in her car, the manager stopped her and after a conversation, she made as if she was pulling over but she then cut across several lanes of traffic 'before driving off at speed.' On May 23, the court heard, officers stopped her driving a different BMW and a search of the vehicle uncovered six 'security de-tagging hooks' but she was allowed to go on her way. There were further, similar thefts at Poundland in Ballymena and after McKeown was arrested at her home on Wednesday, she admitted the theft and the driving offence. Applying for bail, defence counsel Craig Patton revealed that at one point, McKeown had been diagnosed as a kleptomaniac but that diagnosis has since been rescinded. He highlighted however that clearly, 'there is a significant mental health background' and although he submitted that conditions could be put in place to address police concerns, District Judge Nigel Broderick disagreed. Remanding McKeown into custody, the judge said 'in my view, there is a high risk of reoffending and I am not satisfied that that imposition of conditions will address those risks.' McKeown will appear again on 7 August.
BreakingNews.ie
04-07-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Woman charged with murder over death of man, 55, in house fire
A woman has been charged with murder after a man died in a house fire in Co Antrim. Patrick 'Paddy' Douglas, aged 55, died following a house fire in the Main Street area of Ballymoney on Tuesday. Advertisement On Friday, police said they had charged a 34-year-old woman with murder. She is expected to appear before Ballymena Magistrates' Court on Saturday. As is normal procedure, all charges are reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service. Mr Douglas was conveyed to hospital after the fire but died from his injuries. Advertisement
Sunday World
10-05-2025
- Sunday World
Man allegedly threatened to ‘melt' ex and ‘burn everything you own', court told
The court heard David Adair also told his former partner 'tonight you are done, you are done, I'm going to burn everything you own, including you - I'm going to melt you like a candle you dirty b******.' An alleged domestic abuser told his ex he was going to burn her out and 'melt you like a candle,' a court heard today. Ballymena Magistrates Court also heard how David Adair also told his former partner 'tonight you are done, you are done, I'm going to burn everything you own, including you - I'm going to melt you like a candle you dirty b******.' Appearing at court by video link from police custody 41-year-old Adair, from The Crescent in Coleraine, confirmed he understood the nine offences against him, alleged to have been committed on different dates between 16 March and 9 May this year. The offences, alleged to have been committed against his former girlfriend as well as his estranged wife include making a threat to kill, three breaches of non-molestation orders, two of criminal damage and single counts of theft of a mobile phone, common assault and domestic abuse. David Adair. News in 90 seconds - 10th May 2025 Giving evidence to the court Const. Duffy said police were opposing bail due to the risk of further offences, concerns that Adair is hard to locate and would not adhere to bail conditions. The court heard that according to the police case, Adair and his ex-girlfriend had an argument on 16 March whereby he allegedly 'pushed her to the chest with both hands' and although she left straight away, he followed her. She went to her business premises nearby but Adair is alleged to have followed her in, toppling over a table and damaging several items which had been on it before grabbing her mobile phone and 'smashing it on the ground.' He allegedly stole the wrecked mobile as he left and the court heard that 'police have been actively looking for him since that date.' On Thursday Adair's ex was at the rear of her business premises when the defendant allegedly shouted at her 'take this as a threat - I'm going to kill you' and it was Thursday evening when she received the threatening voice messages. Although she has declined to make a statement the recordings have been obtained by police where Adair allegedly declared: 'Tonight you are done, you are done, I'm going to burn everything you own, including you - I'm going to melt you like a candle you dirty b******. 'You are f***** now; I'm going to end you now you dirty stinking unwashed b******! I'm going to end you tonight.' Adair left a further message claiming he was going to kill himself and he was arrested at his home on Friday after cops forced entry. The prosecuting lawyer said that in the mean time there had also been allegations from Adair's ex-wife that he had breached the NMO she has in place. She told police Adair had sent her text and WhatsApp messages which 'made her feel distressed and annoyed.' During cross examination the constable agreed with defence solicitor Adrian Harvey that in an earlier case, Adair had been on bail for almost 18 months 'and he did not breach it once.' The officer said however 'I was going more on the NMOs - if he is going to breach an NMO I do not believe that he will adhere to bail conditions.' The solicitor also put to him that there was no foundation to his claims that Adair is hard to find given the fact that he was arrested at home and in separate proceedings, 'officers contact me, I contact the defendant and arrangements are made for an interview.' Although Mr Harvey contended that bail could be granted with conditions such as a curfew, no alcohol and no mobile phone, District Judge Peter King put to the solicitor 'how do I grant somebody bail who has left a message saying 'tonight you are done, I'm going to burn you out, I'm going to melt you like a candle?'' 'In the context of those messages how can any court consider that he poses anything other than a threat,' he told the lawyer adding that while he had 'absolutely no doubt' Adair had kept to bail conditions previously, 'how on earth can I grant bail to someone who has threatened to melt his former partner like a candle?' Refusing bail and remanding Adair into custody until 2 June, Judge King said there was 'no way I can stand over a release to someone who is threatening violence in the most graphic of terms….those threats have made my blood run cold.'
