A man who assaulted his uncle, whom his solicitor said “apparently has schizophrenia”, claims he did so as he was having an episode.
Court heard the 32-year-old had been in custody since October 1 as the only address which had been put forward was in the Republic and had been deemed unsuitable.
Albert William Plummer, of Lanesborough Mews, pleaded guilty to common assault, possession of Class B and possession of Class C at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Friday, where he appeared via videolink from Maghaberry.
Prosecution outlined that on October 10, at 1pm, police received a call from the injured party who claimed his nephew, the defendant, had pushed him up against a wall to prevent him leaving his home.
Plummer was subsequently arrested and conveyed into custody.
During a search of the defendant, police located a quantity of cannabis and a strip of valium tablets.
When interviewed, Plummer admitted to pushing his uncle onto a sofa in order to prevent him from becoming aggressive.
He accepted possession of the cannabis which was for personal use but denied knowing he had the valium, although he acknowledged police had found the tablets in his bag.
Defence solicitor Philip Reid stated: “This man lives in the south, he is a security employee and had been visiting his uncle.
“He has been in custody since October 1, as the address in Dublin was the only one he could put forward.”
He added: “High Court bail was granted subject to a surety of £1,000 being put forward. It was hoped his family could do this but it was not possible.
“This was an incident with his uncle who apparently has schizophrenia and had been having an episode at the time.”
Plummer was sentenced to one month in prison for the offence.
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