Student ‘punched his mother and knocked her tooth out’

Caelin Harkin is accused of inflicting injuries after turning up at her home and starting a row.

Harkin, 22, of Meelmore Drive in Omagh, Co Tyrone, also faces separate charges of assaulting police and disorderly behaviour at a bus station in Belfast.

Defence lawyers argued that he should be released on bail again to continue with his quantity surveying studies at the University of Ulster.

He is charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm over the alleged domestic violence incident.

Prosecution counsel Iryna Kennedy said Harkin’s mother told police he had attacked her in the early hours of June 24 last year.

“She said her son turned up, started an argument and then punched her to the face, causing a cut and swelling to her mouth and a tooth to fall out.

“The tooth was recovered from the fireplace.”

The court was told the woman has classified as a potential high-risk victim of domestic violence.

Harkin is further accused of assaulting three police officers and disorderly behaviour at the Europa bus centre on Belfast’s Glengall Street last August.

He was later released from custody, but arrested again last month following an incident in Omagh where he allegedly had a metal pole as a weapon.

Defence counsel said Harkin is now attempting to “get back on the straight and narrow”.

The barrister added: “He accepts that he’s at a crossroads and this is his chance to turn his life around with a university degree – he’s only the second person in his family to attend university.”

Mr Justice Huddleston was told Harkin has to resit some exams and plans to move to Belfast.

Adjourning the bail application, the judge indicated that he wanted to be provided with an address.