A man accused of a drunken attack on a heavily pregnant woman in Newry has been refused bail. Thirty-one year old Thomas Pearce, of Dromore Street in Banbridge, is charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent, disorderly behaviour and criminal damage, after the incident which took place in the early hours of September 23rd.
He also faces further counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm to a neighbour, possessing cannabis, assault on police and breaching a violent offences prevention order by being drunk at the scene.
The Belfast High Court heard last week that police were alerted to the disturbance at an address in Hillside Court in Newry by the alleged victim’s eight year-old son. A Crown lawyer told the court that the child reported that his eight and-a-half-months pregnant mother and a female neighbour were both being attacked by a man named Tom.
The prosecutor submitted that the pregnant woman’s attacker punched her, stamped on her head and grabbed her hair, “smashing her head into the ground.”
“He also attempted to drag her by the hair back into the home address,” he added.
It is also alleged that Pearce shouted obscenities at the woman during the assault which left the victim with facial and body injuries.
According to the prosecution the defendant knew the female through his sister and it is understood he may have been attempting to form a relationship with her. The barrister alleged that a woman who lives next door to the victim was also pushed to the ground when she tried to intervene.
Defence counsel Mark Farrell stressed that the pregnant woman has not yet made a statement of complaint. Mr Farrell described the alleged attack as “horrific and barbaric”, and argued that there may not be the evidence to sustain a case.
Denying bail for the defendant, Lord Justice Gillen said another witness has provided an account of the attack.