Dispute over child’s bike ends up with conviction

Dispute over child’s bike ends up with conviction

21 January 2015

A NEWCASTLE woman assaulted her neighbour over a dispute about a child’s bike, Downpatrick court has heard.

Forty four year-old Paula Andrews assaulted Martin Rooney on April 24 when he asked for the return of his child’s bicycle, which had been taken by her son.

Mr. Rooney told Downpatrick Court on Monday that he went to retrieve the bike from a nearby house after being told it had been taken.

He said he knocked Andrews’ door but there was no answer. He then spotted the bike in the neighbour’s property.

He said Andrews suddenly appeared, shouting obscenities at him and yelling at him to get off the property.

Mr. Rooney said he explained he was there to retrieve his child’s bike, prompting Andrews to spit in his face and throw a cup of coffee around him. He said she then threw the bike at him, cutting his leg.

“I backed off,” said Mr. Rooney. “I was embarrassed because my son was standing right beside me.

“I was shocked. I had never before been spat in the face by a woman or had coffee thrown on me.”

Andrews claimed Mr. Rooney was shouting about the bike and had threatened her.

Although she acknowledged coffee had spilt, she said this was by accident and had also spilt on her own clothes.

She claimed there was a “bit of a witch-hunt” against her by her neighbours.

However, two other neighbours who witnessed the incident insisted Mr. Rooney had not acted aggressively.

Mr. Martin O’Hanlon said Andrews “went off the head straight away.”

He said she was pointing in Mr. Rooney’s face and cursing, while he remained calm and asked for the return of the bike.

“She spat in his face and 

he backed up a bit and wiped his face,” he said. “She had tea or coffee in her hand and she threw it around him.”

He said she then shouted abuse at Mr. Rooney, who communicates by lip reading due to deafness, about his disability.

District Judge Greg McCourt said he was persuaded by the evidence given by Mr. Rooney and Mr. O’Hanlon.

Convicting Andrews of common assault against Mr. Rooney, he requested a pre-sentence report.

“This was a nasty incident and totally unnecessary,” said Mr. McCourt. “While you may have difficulties you still have to react in a proper way.”

The defendant will be sentenced on February 26.