A Bessbrook man has been granted one final chance at bail after appearing in court accused of breaching a non-molestation order by allegedly threatening his ex-partner over social media.
Lee Kearney, 24, of Dobsons Way, appeared before Armagh Magistrates’ Court, sitting in Newry, charged with breaching a non-molestation order relating to his former partner.
Outlining police objections to bail, Detective Constable Natalie Boyd told the court that on August 9, 2026, police received a report from the complainant alleging that Kearney had contacted her via Facebook Messenger at around 7.30pm.
“She reported that her ex-partner was calling her via Facebook Messenger and threatened her by saying he would beat her if she didn’t come home soon,” DC Boyd said.
The court heard there is a non-molestation order in place which prohibits Kearney from being at the complainant’s address and from threatening violence towards her.
The complainant also reported that Kearney had attended her home “a few weeks ago” despite the order.
The complainant had left her property on Friday, August 7, to stay at her mother’s address and alleged that, since then, the defendant had been calling her frequently “saying snappy remarks”, before allegedly threatening on August 9 to beat her when he next saw her if she did not return home.
The complainant believed, DC Boyd said, that the alleged contact was linked to the fact she had taken her bank card with her and that she was due to be paid soon, adding that she felt Kearney would be “looking her money”. She has provided a statement to police in relation to the alleged incident.
Objecting to bail, DC Boyd said police believed there was a likelihood of further offending.
“The defendant has a previous conviction for a breach of a non-molestation order, which is against the same alleged injured party. He also has a further pending matter and another matter where he’s been released for report,” she said.
“He has two previous convictions for misuse of public telecommunication networks, and he has five previous breaches of bail, with the last one being March 2026.
“And there is a significant domestic history between both of these parties.
“We’re also objecting as the IP [injured party] is deemed as a high-risk victim, with the defendant being the perpetrator, and police would have concerns that he’s likely to return to the domestic setting and is likely to interfere with the victim or commit further offences.”
District Judge Anne Marshall queried the status of the other alleged matters on Kearney’s record.
“You said he’s two pending matters. One that he’s on police bail for. Is that right? I have it that he has a further pending breach of molestation order and another where he’s been released for report,” the judge asked.
DC Boyd confirmed: “So one is on police bail and one is on report.”
Defence barrister Kevin O’Hare proposed that Kearney be granted bail to his address at Dobsons Way in Bessbrook. DC Boyd accepted there was “no issue with that address as such” and confirmed it was sufficiently far from where the complainant resides.
Mr O’Hare suggested there would be no reason for Kearney to enter Banbridge where the injured party lives and put to the officer that Kearney’s account in interview was that he had been contacted first by the complainant and had only returned the call.
DC Boyd confirmed that was Kearney’s position in interview and that the only date giving rise to the current charge was August 9.
The defence barrister also asked whether police had any independent corroboration of the alleged threat beyond the complainant’s statement.
“Not at this stage, just what has been disclosed in the statement,” DC Boyd replied.
Mr O’Hare further queried whether the complainant had ever attended court to give evidence in previous matters involving Kearney. The officer said she did not know.
The court heard that Kearney’s previous convictions for improper use of public electronic communications, as well as his earlier breach of a non-molestation order, related to the same injured party.
Mr O’Hare said that in the past his client had “held his hands up” to breaching the order.
“He’s not stupid,” said Judge Marshall. “He kept a suspended sentence and then seems to have picked up allegedly contacting her after that’s expired.”
Mr O’Hare said that Kearney “is certainly someone who would be categorised as having cognitive deficiencies”.
He described the relationship as “mutually destructive” and submitted: “They’re both people who have acute needs, I respectfully suggest, who seek the assistance of the court in terms of orders, but then [don’t] understand the importance of adhering to those orders.
“The fact that Mr Kearney has two convictions on his record without the complainant ever coming to court is indicative of what he would say is the way he puts his hands up when he does breach the orders. But he’s adamant that he didn’t make any threat against her.”
Addressing the defendant directly, District Judge Marshall issued a stark warning as she agreed to grant bail.
“Mr Kearney, you’re getting one chance at bail, and if you make any contact with her or breach any of these conditions, you’ll go to Maghaberry and you’ll stay there until this case is dealt with,” she said.
Kearney was released on his own bail of £250 with strict conditions. He must reside at his address in Bessbrook and at no other address; have no contact whatsoever with the complainant; and is banned from entering Banbridge, as defined by the 30mph zones of the town.
He must also provide his phone number to police before release and present the device to officers for inspection if required.
The case was adjourned to September 3.
