A court has been informed that a man will have to undergo plastic surgery for his facial wounds. This is after he was allegedly attacked with a broken Buckfast bottle on a street in Co Down.
According to the police, the victim was slashed on his head and body when violence broke out in the Burren Meadows area of Newcastle on Saturday. William Kennedy, who is 27 years old, appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court. He was charged with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm to the victim.
Kennedy, who lives on De Courcey Way in Dundrum, also faces another charge. He is accused of possessing an offensive weapon, which is a broken glass bottle, with the intent to commit an indictable offence.
The police received a 999 call just before 11 am about disturbances near the housing development and then went to the scene.
A member of the public claimed that people were stabbing each other as they fought using knives and bottles.
An investigating detective said that the victim was found in the street. He was bleeding a lot from the slash marks on his head, arms, chest, and neck.
She told the court, “It was reported that the defendant had assaulted and hit him with a Buckfast bottle.”
“He went to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast… and is now waiting for plastic surgery for his facial injuries.” Kennedy was found and arrested at a property close by.
The police said that the remnants of the glass bottle found in the area supported the alleged account of what took place.
The detective added, “We received a video of the incident. The footage shows the defendant seemingly hitting (the victim) on the head with an object in his right hand that broke into pieces.”
Defence solicitor Joe Mulholland revealed that Kennedy and the injured man used to be close friends.
He described it as “a really strange incident” where his client was allegedly involved in a fight that he should have stayed away from.
Mr Mulholland insisted, “It wasn’t a random attack where someone just lost control.”
Kennedy was given bail, but he is strictly prohibited from entering Newcastle.
District Judge George Conner adjourned the case until March 31. He also banned the accused from contacting the victim or making any mention of him on social media.
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