Bail for man accused of attempted murder

Thomas Inglis allegedly inflicted blows to the woman’s head following an earlier attack said to have been carried out while she was recovering from giving birth.

A judge heard she also claimed the 29-year-old tried to strangle her and threatened: “I’m going to kill you, I’m going to do it right.”

But Mr Justice Burgess ruled that he could be released from custody after being told of inconsistencies in the woman’s accounts of the alleged attack last month.

Inglis, of Thornberry Avenue in the city, faces charges of attempted murder, possessing an offensive weapon with intent to commit an indictable offence, threats to kill and breaching a non-molestation order.

He is further accused of common assault over an earlier incident on December 15 last year.

Prosecutor Conor Maguire said Inglis allegedly pushed the woman out of a car, pushed her head against a fence and kicked her.

She was still in considerable discomfort from having given birth three weeks earlier, the court was told.

Despite obtaining a non-molestation order, the woman was said to have turned up at Inglis’ home in the early hours of January 31.

She claimed he accused her of cheating on him before dragging her by the hair into a bedroom.

Referring to the woman’s account, Mr Maguire said Inglis allegedly grabbed her by the throat until she started to pass out and then issued the threat.

“She said she bent over and felt a massive force to the back of the head,” the barrister continued.

“She said it was with what appeared to be a wooden baseball bat, and then said the applicant hit her a second time to the front of the head.”

Police were not alerted to the alleged attack until three days later, the court heard.

Although a search of the property failed to locate any baseball bat, a hatchet was recovered from under a bed.

During interviews Inglis claimed the woman had been staying with him for up to two weeks.

Mr Maguire also disclosed that a process for obtaining evidence from the woman has stalled due to “clear discrepancies” in her accounts.

Granting bail, Mr Justice Burgess imposed an exclusion zone to keep Inglis from having any contact with the alleged victim.