Man held knife to 3-year-old's throat, court told

A County Tyrone man allegedly held a knife to a three-year-old child’s throat after calling at his home for a drink of water, the High Court was told on Thursday.

Simon McNulty, 25, of Lismore Grove, Sion Mills, is also accused of threatening to "slice" the boy’s mother and leave him without a parent.

He denies brandishing a blade and claims he was invited to bring wine to the property in Strabane.

He was granted bail on charges of having an offensive weapon with intent to commit an indictable offence, making threats to kill and assault.

Knife 'lying on the floor'

During the bail application, the court was told that a woman reported to police on July 15 that he was inside her house in the Orchard Street area with a knife.

Officers forced entry as she shouted for help and detained Mr McNulty at the top of the stairs.

The woman and her young son were found in a bedroom, where a six-inch black handled knife was discovered lying on the floor.

“She was in an extreme state of shock and informed police the applicant had called at her home for a glass of water,” prosecution counsel said.

“She let him in and soon after he followed her upstairs.

“Whilst in the bedroom, he put a knife to the throat of the three year-old.”

It was claimed that the defendant punched her a number of times after she pushed him away from the child.

“She then said he put the knife to her throat, saying he was going to slice it and leave her son with no mother,” the barrister added.

As Mr McNulty was being put into a police car he threatened to headbutt officers, according to the prosecution, kicking one of them on the wrist and spitting on the hand of another.

In police interviews, the defendant claimed the woman had invited him to her home the previous day and asked him to bring alcohol.

He told police that he arrived with drink and cocaine, spent the night at the address and left the following day to get more alcohol and drugs.

'No razor found'

When Mr McNulty returned the woman allegedly became aggressive, but he insisted that at no point did he hold a knife to anyone’s throat.

He claimed that she sustained her injuries during a previous fall in the garden.

Defence barrister Seamus Lannon said the complainant sent his client a WhatsApp message asking him to bring wine to her house.

“That would be independent objective evidence that he didn’t turn up looking for a drink of water,” he submitted.

“If that resolves in his favour it fatally undermines a lot of other assertions made by the complainant.”

Mr Lannon also stressed that no razor was found at the property.

Mr McNulty was granted bail based on condition he is not in an ongoing relationship with the woman.

Mr Justice Colton ordered that £1,500 in cash sureties be lodged before the accused is released from custody and he cannot have any contact with the complainant or be within one mile of her home.