Downpatrick man battered driver in road rage incident

Downpatrick man battered driver in road rage incident

4 November 2015

A DOWNPATRICK man who battered another motorist in a road rage incident has received a suspended prison sentence.

Twenty four year-old Stephen Collins head-butted the man to the ground and then repeatedly kicked and punched him leaving his victim with black eyes and cuts and bruises to his face, back and legs.

Collins (24), of Ballymote Walk, was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm following the incident which occurred on December 6 last year.

Thursday’s sitting of Downpatrick Court was told the violent outburst came after the injured man had motioned to Collins, who was travelling with another man, that his car lights were on full beam.

A prosecution lawyer told the court that the injured man and his partner were travelling home when the incident unfolded, outside his house.

When the man got out of his car to go into his home Collins and the other man attacked him.

When police questioned Collins about the attack, he said he had been defending himself.

A solicitor said Collins should be given a suspended sentence, as he had spent some time in custody in relation to this attack, shortly after it occurred.

“He’s got a taste of prison for this matter already,” he said.

District Judge Mr Greg McCourt said this was “a serious matter,” and imposed a nine-month jail-sentence, which he suspended for three years.

Collins also appeared before the court on a second matter on Thursday. 

During a preliminary enquiry, he was charged with two counts of kidnapping, two counts of assault and one count of dangerous driving. He was also charged with aggravated vehicle taking causing injury, criminal damage, making threats to kill and failing to stop after an accident in which injury was caused to another person. 

These charges relate to an incident on December 17 at Burrenwood Road, Castlewellan.

He was released on bail to appear before Downpatrick Crown Court on December 1.