A man who admitted subjecting his partner’s infant son to assaults, ill treatment and neglect was made the subject of a three-year Probation Order
Summer recess is still ongoing across Northern Ireland courts – but there were some appearances over the last few days.
They included a man who allegedly beat his ex-partner with plank of wood and a man who gave a nine-year-old child Roblox credits after raping her.
Also in our headlines from court this week was the sentencing of a Co Tyrone pervert who sent sexual messages to a decoy he believed was teen girl.
Below is our weekly roundup of some of those who have been before the courts this week, beginning August 11, 2025.
GAA player to stand trial accused of injuring pedestrian in van incident
An Antrim GAA player was ordered to stand trial accused of causing serious injury to a pedestrian in road traffic incident.
Appearing in the dock of Ballymena Magistrates Court on Monday, 26-year-old Kavan Keenan confirmed he was aware of the two charges against him, both allegedly committed on 26 October last year.
Keenan, from Millfield in Ballymena, is accused of causing grievous bodily injury by driving carelessly on the Glenravel Road and with aggravated vehicle theft causing serious injury.
Read more here.
Court hears distressing details of NI man’s cruelty towards infant
A 25-year old man who admitted subjecting his partner’s infant son to assaults, ill treatment and neglect was made the subject of a three-year Probation Order.
The Co Tyrone man, who can’t be named to protect the identity of his young victim, admitted six count of child cruelty which included slapping the infant and looking after him whilst ‘stoned’ on cannabis.
As the defendant was sentenced by Judge Brian Sherrard in Dungannon Crown Court sitting in Belfast, it emerged he made the child stand outside his cot as well as making him walk up and down the hallway repeatedly as forms of punishment.
Read more here.
Belfast man given Probation Order after assaulting partner in front of child
A Belfast man who assaulted his partner whilst stealing her phone was made the subject of an 18-month Probation Order on Tuesday.
The incident occurred last February in the presence of the woman’s 12-year old child. Christopher McNarry, 39, from Laganvale Street, was sentenced at Belfast Crown Court on charges of theft and common assault.
At around 4pm on February 21, 2024 the injured party was at home when McNarry arrived at her front door. She let him in and once inside, McNarry began to verbally abuse her and accuse her of having affairs.
Read more here.
Man appears in court charged with Downpatrick murder
A man appeared in court charged with the murder of Stephen Brannigan and the attempted murder of a priest in Co Down.
Hugh Malone, 30, of no fixed address but from the Belfast area, appeared via videolink from Musgrave police station at Newtownards Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
The body of Mr Brannigan, 56, was found in a house in Marian Park in Downpatrick on Sunday afternoon.
Read more here.
NI man gave nine-year-old Roblox credits after raping her
A Cookstown man convicted by a jury of multiple offences including raping a nine-year old child was handed a 13-year sentence.
As he imposed the sentence upon Jason Harkness, Judge Brian Sherrard told him that despite his continued claims of innocence, the offences he committed indicated he had a “deviant sexual interest in children”.
From Drum Road, the 31-year old was sentenced for a total of 15 offences. These included raping and both sexually and physically assaulting the girl as well as possessing indecent images of children and extreme pornographic images.
Read more here.
New IRA had planned earlier attack on detective John Caldwell, court told
Police have uncovered what they believe was a failed attempt to murder detective John Caldwell in the weeks before he was seriously wounded in a gun attack by dissident republicans, a court has heard.
The details were revealed as two men appeared at Dungannon Magistrates’ Court on charges linked to the attempted murder of the senior PSNI officer in Omagh, Co Tyrone on February 22 2023.
Mr Caldwell was shot several times while he was off duty and with his young son, packing up after coaching a youth football team.
Read more here.
Man who sent sexual messages to decoy he believed was teen girl sentenced
A Co Tyrone man who attempted to get what he believed to be a teenage girl to send him sexually explicit images of herself was made the subject of a three-year Probation Order today (Thursday).
During the sentencing of Kevin James McKenna, it emerged that instead of communicating with a 13-year old, the 44-year old was actually messaging a police decoy.
From Shilling Court in Fintona, McKenna pleaded guilty to a total of six offences committed between May and June 2023.
Read more here.
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