Accused Ballymena pair ‘threatened to chop up’ man's family; bail refused over 'risk of further offending and risk of witness interference'
Two Ballymena men were remanded into custody on Saturday accused of what a judge described as essentially amounting to torture.
Standing side by side in the dock of the town’s Magistrates Court, 24-year-old Bailie Young and John Mawhinney, 31, confirmed they understood the charges against them.
Young, from Hillside Park, and Mawhinney, from the Larne Road, are jointly charged with causing actual bodily harm to a man and falsely and injuriously imprisoning him on 18 February this year.
Mawhinney is further charged with making a threat to kill the complainant and possessing a hatchet as a weapon.
Giving evidence to the court, Const. Mitchell said she believed she could connect both men to the charges and that police are objecting to bail due to fears of further offending and witness interference.
Young’s defence solicitor Adrian Harvey confirmed he was not lodging a bail but Sara Edge, solicitor for Mawhinney, did mount an application.
The court heard claims that according to the complainant he was at an address in Cullybackey when Mawhinney “turned nasty and held him against his will,” punching him to the face any time he tried to leave.
He told police he was “threatened with a hatchet and told to sit on a chair and not move” as a woman who was there allegedly locked the door and removed the keys.
The court heard claims that at one stage Young and a second female arrived, and Young has allegedly “joined in the assaults including punching, kicking and stamping” on the detained male.
Const. Mitchell told the court it was reported to police that Mawhinney “has thrown the hatchet at the injured party’s head” but he moved and the weapon struck him on the ribs causing a large bruise.
It was further alleged that Mawhinney “discussed chopping his fingers off” and instructed Young to “hold his hand out” before Young allegedly “bent his fingers back in an attempt to break them.”
Mawhinney also allegedly rammed a beer bottle into the injured party’s face and the pair “made a number of threats including to chop up his family if he contacted the police.”
“They discussed doing him in and putting him in the ground,” said the officer, adding that after they decided to let the alleged victim go “he was told not to report it to the police.”
He did, however, report it and the pair were arrested.
During cross examination from Ms Edge, the officer agreed that the two women allegedly involved have been freed on bail pending further enquiries.
The solicitor submitted that with a proposed bail address in Ahoghill, Mawhinney could be granted bail albeit under strict conditions but District Judge Peter Magill refused.
“This is a catalogue of offences that amount essentially to torture,” he told the court.
Refusing bail and remanding both men into custody to appear again this Thursday, he said there was “clearly a risk of further offending and clearly a risk of witness interference.”