A 21-year-old man accused of a going on “crime spree” around an Armagh housing estate earlier this week has been refused bail
Nathan McDonagh, of Shanoch Close in Coalisaland, appeared before Newry Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday charged with a string of offences stemming from a series of “chaotic and opportunistic” incidents in Abbey Park during the early hours of Monday, August 4.
According to a lawyer for the public prosecution, the police first received a report from a resident of Abbey Park stating that a man tried to open his front door and car doors outside.
Upon arrival, police were met by another individual from the same estate who stated that this was the same male who had just smashed the side window of his son’s vehicle.
It had also been alleged that the suspect tried to open front doors of another house in Abbey Park. He also tried to open the doors of a vehicle parked outside it.
McDonagh is also alleged to have entered another house in the same estate as a trespasser, and drank a can of coke while sitting at the kitchen table.
The occupants of this house were woken by the noise of the man before encountering him in the kitchen.
The female occupant ran upstairs to get her mobile to ring police and when returning back down towards the stairs, she encountered the male three or four steps up the stairs holding a large six foot branch.
The woman alleged that McDonagh held this branch – or stick – over his head “as if going to strike her or putting her in fear of being struck and hurt, and that he would hurt her three young children who were also upstairs”.
This woman shouted for her husband and also shouted for the suspect to leave. And asked: “What did he want, and who was he?”
The male suspect replied that “he wanted his beer and identified himself as Nathan McDonagh, before running out of the house”.
It’s also alleged McDonagh stole a child’s bike from a shed outside another house in the same estate.
CCTV footage shows a male matching the McDonagh’s description on the child’s bike in the street in Abbey Park. It has also been alleged the suspect tried door handles of two further vehicles, a red Ford Ranger pickup and a blue Volkswagen Golf, both parked at another address.
McDonagh then tries to open the front door and appears to try and open the garage at this address as well.
During this particular incident, the suspect is also alleged to have stolen the doorbell camera. This has been captured on the CCTV from the doorbell camera before it was stolen.
It’s further alleged McDonagh has gone to another address on the street and again tried the door handle of a black Audi. He appears to have attempted to open the front door and has then picked up a stone and smashed the side window of another vehicle – a black Peugeot parked outside.
This incident was both captured on CCTV and also observed by the occupant of the address who’s then gone outside and followed McDonagh. This is the resident who subsequently alerted police upon their arrival to Abbey Park.
McDonagh was searched upon arrest and found to be in possession of cocaine. He was also found to have a doorbell camera in his pocket, which is believed to be once stolen from nearby address.
The prosecutor said that the following day, whilst in police custody in Dungannon, McDonagh “urinated against the wall and floor of the cell, which required the out of hours cleaners to be called”.
Objecting to bail, the prosecutor added: “We believe that he is likely to commit further offences, including criminal damage, and he seems to gone on a bit of a crime spree and we believe he’s likely to reoffend if granted bail.”
A defence barrister argued that the alleged events were “chaotic and opportunistic” and appeared to be fuelled by alcohol. He said his client denied any intent, and stated that McDonagh “completely denies having a stick”.
The court was also told McDonagh is currently on licence for a previous offence and is pursuing work as a vehicle mechanic.
District Judge Eamon King was quick in refusing bail, citing the likelihood of reoffending. McDonagh was remanded in custody and is due back in court on September 3.
