By 
A POMEROY man accused of strangling a woman and beating her with a belt earlier this week has been granted bail.
Appearing before Dungannon Magistrates Court was David Andrew Cahoon (44) of Edendoit Road. The court heard that on Monday, January 12, Cahoon had been drinking with the alleged injured party.
Following an argument, he began strangling the woman until she nearly lost consciousness, before trailing her along the floor and applying pressure to her neck a further two times.
He then began whipping her with a belt, with the injured party later telling police that she ‘thought she was going to die’.
It was also heard that Cahoon had broken the injured party’s phone before she rang to a neighbour for help.
CCTV from a neighbouring premises picked up audio of the injured party screaming for help following the assault, before Cahoon took off in a vehicle which was taken without the owner’s permission.
Cahoon was later located by police and he failed a breathalyser test, with further checks uncovering he had previously been disqualified from driving.
When questioned, Cahoon claimed that the injured party had ‘hit him with a hoover’ and swung a hammer at him, further accusing her of hitting him with a belt, biting his ear and choking him.
Cahoon admitted to driving whilst disqualified but denied the assault.
Police confirmed that while the injured party did not make a statement, photographic evidence of her injuries were provided.
Detective Constable Simon Brown told the court police were opposing bail due to 60 previous convictions on Cahoon’s record, most of which were in relation to domestic incidents.
Cahoon was described as a ‘high risk offender’ and a ‘wider risk to the public’ due to his driving offences.
District Judge Rafferty granted bail at £500, with Cahoon to reside at an approved address in the Cookstown area.
As part of his bail conditions, Cahoon is to have no contact with the injured party, is not to be intoxicated in public and is not to drive.
Cahoon will return to court on February 11.
