Stun grenade used to capture hammer attacker

Paul McCormick has been handed a 16 month suspended sentence

Police had to throw a stun grenade to capture a man who had attacked his friend with a hammer, a court heard.

Paul McCormick, 35, had been arguing on the street in Ramsey in the early hours of 24 May and was seen to swing something at his victim.

When officers arrived at McCormick's flat, he barricaded himself in and they had to use a "tactical" stun device to force their way in.

Douglas Courthouse heard McCormick - who was given a 16-month suspended sentence - had suffered a work injury that had "changed his character".

The court heard the victim had told police there had been an argument in McCormick's flat, telling officers: "He did this to me, he hit me on the back of the head with a hammer."

When police got into McCormick's flat, they found a hammer wrapped in a jumper lying on the sofa.

In his basis of plea, McCormick said he and his friend had been arguing, he had been drinking, and he had swung the hammer to "get him to back off" but had "misjudged".

The court heard he had been on police bail at the time after a package smelling of cannabis was intercepted at the northern sorting office on 10 August 2024.

The package - addressed to McCormick - contained three vapes laced with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), 20 THC capsules and 96 THC sweets.

A search of his address found canisters containing nitrous oxide (a Class C drug), along with red balloons.

His defence advocate argued that injuries McCormick sustained during a work accident had lead to a change in his character.

McCormick pleaded guilty to affray, being concerned in the importation of Class B drugs and possession of Class C drugs.

Suspending the sentence for 18 months, Deemster Graeme Cook said the ongoing effects of McCormick's work incident did "not excuse the offences".