Belfast court heard injured party required several surgeries and metal plate inserted to side of her face
A man allegedly knocked his girlfriend unconscious and repeatedly kicked her about the head in a north Belfast street attack, a court heard today.
Police claimed David O’Neill, 26, left the victim with a deep facial wound and a fractured eye socket.
He is also accused of inflicting further injuries on two of her friends who tried to intervene in the Ardonye area last month.
O’Neill, of Antrim Close in the city, was refused bail on charges of causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, attempted grievous bodily harm with intent and common assault.
Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard police were alerted that the woman was in an unconscious state in Brompton Park late at night on September 28.
When officers got to the area she had facial injuries but had come round again.
She later claimed O’Neill had knocked her out with a punch to the back of the head before he left the scene.
Police were informed that the woman lay unconscious for approximately two minutes.
Despite an ambulance being called, she declined any hospital treatment and started walking towards a nearby house accompanied by three female friends.
As they reached the junction with Arodyne Avenue, O’Neill allegedly appeared again from a side street and ran towards them.
It was claimed that he grabbed his girlfriend by the hair and forced her onto the ground.
“As she lay on the ground the defendant proceeded to kick her to the face and head multiple times, leaving her lying covered in blood,” an investigating detective said.
When her friends attempted to intervene and calm him down he punched one of them in the face and pushed another onto the ground, according to police.
The court heard his girlfriend sustained a fractured eye socket which has required several surgeries and a metal plate inserted to the side of her face.
She also had to have 14 stitches to repair a deep laceration to her forehead.
One of the women who came to her aid suffered a lacerated cheek, while another of those who attempted to intervene sustained a fractured wrist when pushed to the ground.
O’Neill was located and detained in a car several hours later.
With the attack captured on CCTV recordings, he denied any involvement in the violence and claimed it was not him in the footage.
During police interviews he accepted being at a bar in the Ardoyne area that night but insisted he left alone without any issues.
Opposing bail, the detective alleged he posed a danger to women based on an attack carried out in public which left three victims requiring hospital treatment.
“Put bluntly, police believe David O’Neill is a risk to the public,” she added.
Defence barrister Kelly Doherty confirmed: “He has denied that he is the person on the CCTV.”
But amid strenuous objections to her client’s proposed address, she was unable to make further submissions at this stage.
District Judge George Conner ruled that O’Neill must remain in custody.
“There is no way I would grant this man bail,” Mr Conner said.
“This was uncomfortable listening, and I could watch how he responded to what was being said.” ends
