Man threatened to slice throat of 13-year-old boy and throw him in Carnlough harbour

James Anthony Joseph Hyndman, with an address listed as no fixed abode in Carnlough, was sentenced on charges including making a threat to kill; behaving in a threatening manner; possessing a knife; and assault.

He appeared at Antrim Magistrates' Court, sitting in Ballymena, via video link from prison where he had spent a number of months on remand.

A prosecutor said on March 8 this year the defendant approached the boy and his friends at Carnlough Harbour and allegedly offered them cigarettes and alcohol which they declined.

"At that point then the defendant produced a knife from his waistband and pointed it at the injured party, holding it close to him, saying to him 'I will slice your throat and throw you in the harbour'," the court heard. The boy and his friends ran away.

On April 21 the boy was walking past the defendant's house where "there was a fire in the front garden" and Hyndman said he was going to put the boy in the fire "and that he meant it," said the prosecutor.

Hyndman was arrested at his former partner's house. He had breached a Restraining Order by being there. He attempted to hide a flick knife when arrested.

A defence barrister said the defendant, who has alcohol issues, had spent four months on remand.

District Judge Nigel Broderick said the young age of the victim was of a concern to the court and the boy would have been frightened by being encountered by an adult and threatened with a knife.

The judge said some of the charges were convictions after a contest. He jailed the defendant for nine months and a one year Restraining Order regarding the boy was also put in place.

Judge Broderick said a new procedure has been put in place that prisoners are brought to the Housing Executive to hopefully get emergency or temporary accommodation upon their release "rather than just be let out through the front gate and left to fend for themselves which can obviously have implications about getting accommodation and without accommodation that can increase the risk of offending".