Man jailed after attacking police with baseball bat

Michael Nicell was sentenced at Bishop Street Courthouse on Friday

A man who attacked police officers with a baseball bat, assaulted his partner and rammed a police vehicle has been jailed.

Michael Nicell, 35, of Balmoral Avenue in Londonderry admitted 14 charges linked to an incident on 15 January.

At Londonderry Magistrates' Court on Friday, Nicell admitted assaulting a female occasioning her actual bodily harm, assault, threats to kill, arson and having an offensive weapon, namely a knife.

He also admitted assaulting a police officer, dangerous driving, failing to stop and report an accident, as well as having drugs.

Rammed a police vehicle

All of the offences occurred on January 15, except one assault charge said to have occurred on January 13.

The court was told that police were called by the defendant himself in the early hours of January 15 after discovering his partner had had an affair

When officers arrived at an address, Nicell was said to have refused them entry and grabbed a baseball bat and started waving it at the police.

Police had to use a shield to try to enter the property and at one stage Nicell hit the top of a shield held by one of the officers.

Nicell then fled from the scene in a car, but was said to have returned a short time later and rammed a police vehicle.

A police chase ensued and during it Nicell drove at speed on the wrong side of the road before entering a car park and crashing into a fence.

He then produced a knife and police had to use batons to restrain him before arresting him.

The alleged victim told police there had been a domestic incident on 13 January had assaulted her.

She also claimed on 15 January 15 that Nicell had become aggressive and assaulted her on several occasions. She was said to have barricaded herself and her children in a room after Nicell had threatened to stab her.

Nicell told police he could not recall any of the events due to having consumed a mixture of cocaine and alcohol.

'Evil motivation'

A defence barrister said that Nicell had a "very brief" criminal record, had been in a relationship with the injured party for about 10 years and that it had been a "happy and uneventful" relationship.

He added that the injured party had had an affair and that had been "devastating" to Nicell.

He said that Nicell's behaviour on the night had been "totally out of character" and that Nicell had also apologised to the officer he had assaulted.

Deputy District Judge Philip Mateer said that the offences had an "evil motivation".

On top of the six months' jail term, Nicell was disqualified from driving for three years.