Jailed for seven months over ‘utterly reprehensible’ attack

AFTER viewing CCTV footage of a sustained and vicious attack, a judge jailed a Coalisland man for seven months.

Paul McGrath (44), of Platers Hill, was before the court on charges relating to two separate incidents.

On March 6 last year, he attacked the man in the lift of an apartment building causing him actual bodily harm. As a result of the same incident he was also convicted of damaging a bottle of Vodka belonging to his victim, possession of an offensive weapon namely, the glass bottle, assault of a police officer and possession of the Class C drug Pregabalin.

Then, on August 26, he damaged the door of another man’s home, threatened to kill him and was caught in possession of a quantity of cannabis.

Dungannon Magistrates Court was told McGrath punched the man a number of times in the lift and broke a bottle of Vodka belonging to him. He was arrested nearby and spat at a police officer.

Watching footage of the attack, District Judge Ted Magill observed, “He kicks him multiple times, now he punches him and more kicking. That man did not defend himself in any shape or form.”

hammer

In the incident in August, he ran along Platers Hill in Coalisland banging on people’s doors with a hammer. Police seized the hammer and received a report he threatened to kill a man. The resident opened his door and made a pre-emptive strike on the defendant as he thought he was about to be assaulted. On that occasion he was in possession of cannabis.

McGrath previously received a two-year probation order in 2019.

Defence barrister, Noel Dillon, said McGrath was receiving treatment for addiction over the summer of 2021. He added the defendant went into treatment since the offences and has been placed in an accommodation in Moy, ten miles from the scene of these offences.

Mr Dillon added, “He has a grave problem with drink and drug addiction and was dependent on cannabis. When he saw the CCTV footage he apologised and acknowledges his behaviour was disgraceful.

“In compiling the pre-sentence report, he says it was the first time he was open with probation regarding the issues in his life and the realisation of where he was. He learned to open up in treatment and is attending recovery meetings.”

Mr Dillon also described the behaviour as “reprehensible and totally violent.”

He added, “I would ask that he get the opportunity to address his issues. He has made a fresh start away from his peers who he used to drink and use with. I would have very little to say had he not taken the 12-week treatment course or addressed the drink and drugs or stayed in Coalisland. He is trying to shape a better future for himself.”

The judge noted that McGrath had 19 previous criminal convictions.

Mr Magill said, “This behaviour is utterly reprehensible. It includes attacks and spitting at a police officer during a Covid pandemic. I cannot overlook what I saw on CCTV. It was an utterly unprovoked attack, which involved punching and kicking, carried out in a sustained fashion on a man trying to get into a flat. He made no attempt to defend himself.”

The judge also made a destruction order for the drugs.