Three people deny assaulting man who was fatally injured on a night out in Portadown

Standing side by side in the dock at Craigavon Crown Court Odhran Connolly, Ethan Dougan and Beth Vernon all entered a not guilty plea to the single charge against them.

Connolly, 22, from Churchill Park in Portadown; Dougan, 25, from Redrock Road in Armagh and 22-year-old Vernon, from Moyraverty Meadows in Moyraverty, are all charged with common assault of Jake Bailey-Sloan on 17 October 2021.

None of the alleged background facts were opened in court today but it was reported at the time how 23-year-old Mr Bailey-Sloan 23, was injured at Mandeville Street early on Sunday 17 October and although he was taken to hospital, he died the following day.

In court today prosecuting counsel Joseph Murphy said despite the “tragic background” to the charges, he estimated that the trial would last “no more than three days,” suggesting that the evidence of a number of witnesses could potentially be agreed.

Freeing the three defendants on bail, Judge Patrick McGurgen scheduled the trial to begin on 14 May.