Samurai sword accused granted High Court bail

A 20-YEAR-OLD Omagh man charged in relation to the death of a man, following an incident involving a machete attack in October, was granted bail when he appeared before the High Court in Belfast on Friday.

Deon Fullen from Slievecoole Park has been bailed to an address in Dungannon under strict conditions that include he must not enter Omagh.

He is charged with manslaughter, attempted murder and possession of an offensive weapon, namely a samarai sword.

It is alleged that 53-year-old Paul Brown from Omagh died from a heart attack brought on by “emotional and physical stress” after his son had sustained severe hand injuries and stab wounds.

An earlier hearing was told that Mr Brown collapsed and was later pronounced dead at the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen, while his son was taken to hospital in Belfast.

A post-mortem report concluded that Paul Brown had died from a heart attack as a result of emotional and physical stress.

At the High Court, defence barrister Ian Turkington, instructed by Roche McBride Solicitors in Omagh, said it was a ‘tragic’ case.

He added there are ‘triable’ issues regarding the manslaughter charge and that a pathologist had said the heart attack Mr Brown suffered could “just as easily have occurred while standing at the bus stop.”

A prosecution lawyer conceded there are ‘triable’ issues regarding the manslaughter charge.

His Honour Judge Stephen Fowler QC stated that the, “case will be deemed complex by the (deceased’s) toxicology reports outstanding”.

He also added that he was aware of the triable issues with the manslaughter allegation.

Fullen was granted bail on a cash surety of £1,000. He was ordered to wear an electronic tag, abide by a curfew between the hours of 9pm and 8am and to refrain from alcohol. He was also told to surrender his passport to police and must not leave the jurisdiction of Northern Ireland, or enter Omagh.

Fullen will appear before Omagh Magistrates Court on December 13.