No bail for ‘menace’ accused of smashing bottle over officer’s head

A court has been told an habitual criminal from Dungannon smashed a bottle over a police officer’s head, threw a wheelchair and other furniture at police and told his son to drive off in a squad car in the early hours of Friday (August 5) morning.

Patrick Bell (40) of Woodburn Crescent was refused bail when he appeared before a special sitting of the town’s Magistrates Court the following morning.

Deputy District Judge Steven Keown said Bell “has a horrific record, is completely out of control and is a total menace and a danger to others”.

He appeared before the court by videolink and was charged with two counts of assaults on police, two attempts to cause grievous bodily harm, disorderly behaviour, resisting police, four counts of possession of offensive weapons, criminal damage, threats to kill, possession of Class A drugs and a breach of a harassment order.

He has 295 previous convictions on his record and served multiple prison sentences.

A PSNI officer said he was with his son and ran off when he saw police shortly after midnight in Dungannon. The officer explained that he was carrying a full bottle of Buckfast and a plastic bag.

The officer stated, “Two police officers gave chase and he turned the bottle and held it by the neck to use as a weapon. An officer drew Pava spray and told him to stop but he shouted at his son to steal the police vehicle which was still running. The spray was no use as the wind was blowing”.

The officer then related that Bell smashed the bottle over a police constable’s head and entered the rear of a nursing home and hit the police man several times with a chair and threw a wheelchair and a stool at him.

The spray was used again and this time he was incapacitated and arrested.

The drugs were found in his back pocket. He was taken to Omagh police station and refused treatment for the effects of the spray. A police officer received cuts and bruising to his arms and a cut to his forehead as well as bruising and pain to his upper back between his shoulders.

It was also stated that Bell was refused a cigarette while in a custody cell and threatened to smear excrement on the walls if he was not given one.

The court also heard he previously ‘wrecked’ a woman’s house, however, the following day she gave a different account of what happened claiming she shouted at him and knocked over the television.

Police opposed bail. The officer said Bell has a ‘significant’ record and the only significant gaps in offending are when he is in prison. She stated he has also committed offences while in jail.

She added he was only out of jail a ‘couple of weeks’ and is involved in offending again and encouraging his son to offend.

The police officer added, “He is hanging out with criminals and has a tendency to violence and is a danger to the public”.

Judge Keown said making a bail application was “hopeless” and ordered that Bell be kept in custody until his next court appearance.