Jail for man who poured yoghurt and Buckfast over a woman

Conall Eamon Duffy, whose address was given as Drumsill Park, Armagh, appeared in court by way of videolink from Maghaberry prison.

He admitted common assault on February 5 and on February 11 dangerous driving within the vicinity of the Northway, not having insurance, failing to stop for police, no licence, common assault on a female and assaulting the same female occasioning her actual bodily harm,

The court heard that on February 5 this year police received a report of a domestic incident in Tandragee.

The injured party had asked the defendant to leave the property but he grabbed her by her arm causing bruising.

He was released on police bail with the condition that he had no contact with the injured party.

On February 11 at 11.25am Duffy went to the injured party’s mother’s address in Lurgan.

The victim claimed that he punched her in the face and then poured yoghurt over her along with the contents of a bottle of Buckfast.

Duffy left in a car and was detected in Portadown where police used sirens to try and stop him but he drove on the wrong side of the road and mounted a kerb.

It wasn’t until February 12 that the defendant was arrested by police.

Defence barrister Joel Lindsay said this was a bad period of Duffy’s life when he was drinking quite seriously.

He added that his client had spent two months on remand in prison.

District Judge, Mrs Bernie Kelly, said that given the nature of the charges and factoring in that Duffy had spent the equivalent of four months in custody there was only one sentence she could impose.

For the assault charges, dangerous driving and no insurance she sentenced him to concurrent terms of three months in prison and ordered him to pay a £25 offender’s levy.

The judge also invoked one month of a suspended sentence which she ordered to run consecutively making a total of four months in prison.

On the motoring offences he was banned from driving for 12 months.

He was also fined £150 for failing to stop for police and £100 for not having a licence.