Man ‘pushed ex-partner into moving bus’

Graham Watson, 41, is accused of carrying out the attack after repeatedly defying a prohibition on harassing the woman.

He appeared at the city’s magistrates’ court charged with attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.

Watson, with an address at The Mount in Belfast, faces further counts of common assault and four breaches of a restraining order.

He was arrested on Monday following several previous unsuccessful attempts to detain him, according to the PSNI.

His ex-partner told police that he attended her home on June 19 and began banging on the door, despite being barred from pestering her.

Officers viewed a video she recorded of the alleged incident.

Just over a week later Watson attacked the woman at Castlereagh Street in the city, it was claimed.

A witness alleged that he saw her being knocked to the ground by a punch to the face.

In a further incident on June 30, the woman claimed Watson had struck her twice during an encounter at the same location.

“(She) alleged that Graham had pushed her into the side of a moving bus,” a PSNI officer told the court.

“An independent witness (also) observed her being pushed into the side of a bus.”

Defence barrister Richard McConkey argued that the restraining order was never properly served on his client.

Refusing Watson’s application for bail, however, District Judge Mark McGarrity described it as “wholly unmeritorious”.

Watson was remanded in custody until September 20.