An Armagh pensioner went on a rampage that left a woman “so scared she had to hide in her bedroom and phone police”, a court has heard.
Brian Nugent, of Tyross Gardens, appeared at Armagh Magistrates’ Court, sitting in Newry on Tuesday, accused of an array of offences.
The 72-year-old, appearing via video-link from Maghaberry, is charged with: common assault; four counts of criminal damage stemming from an incident on March 4; driving with excess alcohol in breath and failing to provide a specimen of breath for test, relating to an incident on September 23, 2021; having no vehicle test certificate; using a vehicle without insurance and using a vehicle without excise licence, relating to an incident on March 16, 2022.
The prosecution outlined that on March 4 of this year, police received a report of a domestic disturbance in Armagh. On attending the property, the injured party claimed that Nugent was in an “irate mood” and had kicked the kitchen door, smashed ornaments in the house and pushed the injured party against the wall.
Police noted that there were no injuries on the injured party, but when they spoke to Nugent, he picked up a glass and “smashed it to the floor.” He was subsequently arrested and taken to Banbridge police station.
Nugent made full admissions to the offences at interview on March 8.
The court heard that in the incident relating to the second charge sheet, on September 23, 2021, at 1:50am, police received a report that a man had entered a house in Armagh and was refusing to leave. The injured party told police that Nugent had “pushed passed her” when she opened the door and refused to leave.
The defendant became “confrontational” with police and alcohol could be smelled from his breath. As he was being removed from the property, he said: “I have been drinking away and driving that car over there.”
Police checks confirmed the car to belong to Nugent and the keys were located in his pocket.
He then refused to provide a preliminary breath sample. He was taken to Lurgan police station where he provided an evidential reading of 48mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.
The final set of charges stem from March 16, when police received a report of a vehicle being driven in Armagh, which checks confirmed to be without insurance, without a valid vehicle test certificate and registered as SORN.
District Judge Anne Marshall said that in relation to the common assault incident, the injured party had been “terrified” and “she was so scared she had to hide in her bedroom and phone police”.
“The sentence I am about to pass is aggravated by the fact that this occurred in a domestic relationship”.
For the assault incident, Nugent was sentenced to a total of four months in custody.
For the driving offence on September 23, he received a £200 fine for the excess alcohol, a £100 fine for failing to provide a sample, and was disqualified from driving for one year.
Finally, for the incident on March 16, he was fined £200 for no insurance, £50 for no MOT and £50 for no trade licence, with a a disqualification of six months added.
Judge Marshall also issued an immediate warrant in regards to both instances of driving offences.
