Attack over Facebook left victim ‘scalded and stabbed’

​Police claimed the victim was also bound, gagged and forced to strip off after letting two suspected assailants into his home in Comber, Co Down.

He lay there badly wounded for more than 24 hours without seeking help due to fears his family would be harmed if he contacted police, a judge was told.

Details emerged as 32-year-old David Smyth was refused compassionate bail on charges of taking part in the attack in the early hours of March 20.

Smyth, with an address at Reaville Park in Dundonald, is accused of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, false imprisonment, theft of clothing and possessing offensive weapons - namely a knife and kettle.

Belfast magistrates’ court heard the victim agreed to let the defendant and a female co-accused visit his apartment in the Orange Hall Lane area while he was there drinking with a friend.

The woman, wearing a snood with a skeleton logo, and Smyth began striking him after they were let into the property, according to his account.

He stated that he was tied up with black cables as the attack continued.

Smyth allegedly stabbed him multiple times with a kitchen knife, gagged him with a microfibre cloth and poured boiling water from a kettle over him. An investigating detective told the court: “While the assault was taking place (the woman) took the victim’s phone, scrolled through it and reportedly said ‘do you f****** like me now?’.”

He claimed the victim was made to strip off and put his clothes and phone in a plastic bag which the assailants took with them.

Before leaving the apartment Smyth allegedly warned the man’s mother and grandmother would be harmed if he informed the PSNI.

“The threat of harm caused the victim to lie in bed for over 24 hours without contacting police or seeking medical attention out of fear,” the detective said.

His mother alerted the authorities after discovering him “in a bad state” at the apartment on March 21.

He was taken to the Ulster Hospital to be treated for burns to his body, nasal bone fractures, face and leg wounds, and a 3cm deep laceration to the side of his head.

The man named both defendants as the alleged assailants.

“When asked why he was attacked, the victim stated that he was friends with (the female co-accused) on Facebook and had been saying things online about her not being a nice person and that he didn’t like her,” the detective disclosed.

The court heard police obtained CCTV footage of the two defendants at a petrol station in Comber a number of hours after the assault.

A neighbour of the victim also claimed to have seen a woman matching the description of the co-accused return a phone to the man’s home the following day.

A defence barrister argued Smyth would only be released from custody for a few hours and accompanied at all times by his mother.

Refusing the application, District Judge George Conner said: “I don’t wish to be insensitive about it, but this could be done at any stage by agreement with the family.”