Bail refused to man '˜who pushed partner's head under water'

A Belfast man accused of running a bath and pushing his partner's head under the water while their one-year-old child was in the house has been refused bail.
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Paul Knell, from Inverleith Drive in the Sydenham area of the city, is accused of attacking his partner on June 28 last year.

The 21-year-old, who denies pushing his partner’s head in the bath water, has been on remand since the alleged offence.

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Crown prosecutor Peter Magill told Judge David McFarland at Belfast Crown Court that Knell faces two charges arising from the incident, namely common assault and an offence of choking the woman.

Telling the court Knell attacked the mother of his child while the youngster was present, Mr Magill said the nature of the choking offence was running the bath and holding the woman’s head under the water “a number of times”.

Mr Magill said: “She finds it difficult to remember how many times as she may have lost consciousness, but it was perhaps four times.”

The prosecutor said that police were objecting to bail as Knell had attacked the same woman the previous summer, for which he received a suspended sentence.

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He added last June’s incident was committed while Knell was under that suspended sentence.

Mr Magill also said Knell had a “bad history of attending court” and that police have had to seek him out several times.

However, he said the main concern was that Knell would commit further offences, adding his now ex-partner was “terrified”.

Defence counsel Denis Boyd pointed out that since his arrest Knell has now spent a total of seven months on remand.

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Regarding police fears, Mr Boyd said Knell has accepted the relationship with the woman was now over and on that basis he had not made any contact with her.

Mr Boyd told Judge McFarland that should Knell be released, there was a “real prospect” of work as a scaffolder which would encourage him to “stay out of trouble and be focused”.

The solicitor also revealed that his client was denying “the bath allegations” and has made the case that both he and his partner had been out drinking on the night in question and that following a drunken argument, she attacked him.

Judge McFarland said his main concern was for the woman.

Saying it was his view there was a “real risk” of Knell committing further offences and in particular “targeting this unfortunate lady” if released on bail, Judge McFarland refused the bail application.

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