Man appears on attempted murder charge after allegedly choking and punching partner

Lisburn Magistrates Court also heard claims that Matthew Carson punched his victim to the face so many times that both her eyes are swollen shut and that “he was so drunk he had to be carried to the police car” when officers arrested him.

Appearing in the dock wearing a police issue grey tracksuit 29-year-old Carson, from Broomhill Park in Magheralin, was initially charged with attempted murder on 14 March 2025 and with engaging in domestic abuse between November last year and 14 March.

A prosecuting lawyer told the court however that a third charge alleging non-fatal strangulation was to be added to the indictment and that was also put to Carson, who nodded his head to confirmed that he understood the charges.

While a PSNI detective gave evidence that she believed she could connect Carson to each of the offences, all of which are alleged to be aggravated by domestic abuse, the prosecutor outlined how a third party rang 999 shortly before midnight on Friday after the complainant arrived at her door, “her face bruised and swollen and she was bleeding copiously.”

After the neighbour handed the phone to the complainant, she told the call handler “her boyfriend had attacked her” and when police attended, “the defendant was located sitting in a vehicle on the driveway of the property”.

Officers could see the victim had sustained significant injuries to her face and after she was taken to hospital, they used their body worn cameras to capture an initial account where she told them the couple had been having a few drinks but after she got off the phone from her dad, Carson allegedly attacked her and punched her in the face several times.

“He grabbed her and started punching her to the face, choked her with both hands and said that he was going to kill her,” claimed the lawyer, adding that the victim “was terrified.”

“The last thing that she remembers was that he choked her and she believes she lost consciousness” she told the court, adding that “doctors couldn’t tell if she lost consciousness as a result of the strangulation or strikes to the head.”

Either way, the woman needed to be kept under observation due to concussion. Outlining how they had been together having met online six months beforehand, she told police while he had never been violent he had been “verbally aggressive” and “very possessive” when he came to visit in that he “always checks her phone and accuses her of cheating,” adding that Carson had moved in with her a week ago.

Carson was so drunk, the court heard, that he had to be carried to the police car and taken to hospital to be checked over but on the way there and during police interviews when he had sobered up he told police “I know I f***** up” and that he remembered hitting her but that he had drunk up to a dozen beers “and a small bottle of whiskey…with very little to eat.”

When photos of the woman’s facial injuries were shown to Carson “he was genuinely shocked and upset” but he denied that he intended to kill her.

Highlighting that Carson had a previous assault on his criminal record as well as breaches of bail and arrest warrants, the detective said she was objecting to bail due to concerns about further offending and witness interference.

Defence counsel Stephen Mooney argued however that with a proposed bail address in Strabane where Carson would live with his mother and with no history to support the contention he would interfere with the witness, that Carson could be granted bail.

Although he conceded that “clearly, it’s a very serious matter,” Mr Mooney highlighted that Carson has made ”significant admissions during interviews and he did express a degree of remorse,” factors which did not suggest that he intended to interfere with the victim or her account.

Agreeing the charges are very serious, District Judge Amanda Brady said that was not a reason of itself to refuse bail but she revealed that Carson had been jailed in 2019 for actual bodily harm so “I can tell that he has used violence in the past.”

She said given the fact the complainant is due to record a formal statement today, to free Carson before that happens would be “premature.”

Refusing bail and remanding Carson into custody the judge adjourned the case to 11 April.