A man accused of breaking his partner’s cheek as well as assaulting his stepdaughter and two-year-old son will face Crown Court proceedings next month.
Court previously heard allegations that the 28-year-old broke his partner’s cheekbone when he backhanded her, assaulted his teenage stepdaughter by grabbing her and throwing her against the wall and slapped his young son across the face.
Adrian Antosco, of Bridge Street in Dowpatrick, appeared charged with wounding, two counts of common assault and threats to kill at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
The case was listed for the purposes of a preliminary enquiry (PE), the legal process during which a case is referred to the higher court.
As these charges were read, it was heard that all of the offences are alleged to have occurred between June 3 and June 7, of last year.
None of the facts were opened, however, a detective constable at a previous court hearing described how staff at Craigavon Area Hospital contacted police when Antosco’s partner had to be treated for a fractured cheekbone.
She informed police that the day prior there had been a “verbal argument” between the defendant and his 15-year-old stepdaughter about her “texting boys from her phone”.
“She said that the defendant grabbed her by both arms and pushed her backwards so she fell against the wall,” said the detective constable.
While the teenager was uninjured her mum – Antosco’s partner – stepped between them to “stop her daughter getting hurt” and pushed him back but the defendant allegedly hit the right side of her face with the back of his right hand, fracturing her cheekbone, and then kicked her “numerous times” while she was on the floor.
The defendant’s partner also told police that a few days prior, Antosco had allegedly slapped the couple’s two-year-old son on the right hand side of his face after he had been playing with buttons on the cooker.
Arrested and interviewed, the court heard that Antosco admitted hitting his partner, grabbing his stepdaughter and “pushing” his son but denied lashing out with kicks or that he slapped his son.
Appearing via videolink from his solicitor’s office on Friday, the defendant made no objection to the holding of a preliminary enquiry.
Prosecution submitted that based on the papers before the court there was a prima facie case to answer.
Defence counsel made no contrary submissions.
Deputy District Judge Chris Holmes was satisfied there was a prima facie case to answer and the defendant was released on continuing bail to appear before Craigavon Crown Court on March 19 for arraignment.
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