'˜Sex in the bath' tag man granted bail

A MAN who was jailed for damaging an electronic monitoring tag on his ankle after it got caught on a tap while having sex in a bath, has been released on fresh bail ... with electronic monitoring.
Judge's court wig and hammer or gavelJudge's court wig and hammer or gavel
Judge's court wig and hammer or gavel

Anthony Craig (23), of Barra Street, Antrim, contacted G4S, who monitor the tags, in November to say he had accidentally damaged the device.

He previously pleaded guilty to damaging the tag which had been fitted as part of bail conditions and a prosecutor told the earlier court Craig said he was “having sex in the bath when the tag got caught around a tap” causing it to come off and break into small pieces.

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His defence barrister told that court the incident happened in the defendant’s girlfriend’s house and said it was not the sort of excuse someone was likely to make up.

“Unfortunately it was true and is fairly embarrassing,” said the barrister.

Now, Craig has appeared via video link from prison at Ballymena Magistrates Court in relation to charges relating to an alleged serious incident at a neighbour’s house.

He is charged with making threats to kill and threats to damage the neighbour’s flat on Sunday October 16.

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He is also alleged to have entered the property with intent to do damage with a weapon and causing damage to a TV, windows, hi-fi and other household items. He is further charged with stealing a TV.

During the bail application, Ballymena Court heard a man hid in the roofspace of his house in Barra Street as Craig, from a flat below, allegedly wrecked his house and threatened to “take him to Tardree (Forest) and do him in”.

A police officer said at 2.25am on October 16 the PSNI received several 999 calls about an ongoing disturbance at Barra Street after a male could be heard shouting for help.

Police attended and entered flats and found a resident hiding in a roofspace in a distressed condition.

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Windows were broken and there were signs of a disturbance. The householder told police he had been in bed and and was awakened by somebody trying to smash panes in his front door and he was so frightened he hid in the roofspace.

Through a crack he saw Craig, who he had known for a few months, holding an iron bar and shouting “where are you?”

The man told police the accused was going from room to room wrecking the flat and the officer said the man told police Craig said he would “take him to Tardree and do him in” and also burn the house so he would not get out alive.

Police saw Craig was drunk in his own flat and a crow bar was found in a back garden.

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Defence barrister Andrew Moriarty said Craig’s girlfriend was present in the court.

Craig was released on bail of £750 with a similar surety from his mother to live at her house at Shankbridge near Kells with conditions which include not entering Antrim except for court and a night time curfew with electronic monitoring.

The case was adjourned to Antrim Magistrates Court later this month.

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