Coleraine man spat blood inside police car

Dylan McCarthy (25), a meat factory worker of Castleroe Road, appeared at Coleraine Magistrates Court on Monday after his sentencing had been deferred for a year.

He was being sentenced on four charges of assaulting police; one charge of being disorderly at The Promenade in Portstewart and one charge of causing criminal damage to a police car.

A prosecutor said that at 1.30am on August 28, 2016, police saw a fight outside the Indian Ocean takeaway in Portstewart with a male being punched on the ground.

McCarthy was arrested for his role in the disturbance and was shouting.

When put in a police car he kicked out striking officers and also “spat” blood in the rear of the vehicle which left a £188 clean-up bill.

Defence barrister Ben Thompson told last year’s court sitting that McCarthy was drunk and had been

involved in a fight which

was why blood was in his mouth.

The lawyer said the incident reflected badly on the defendant but said McCarthy had not intentionally spat at officers but that the blood accidentally came out of his mouth during a struggle.

At Monday’s Court, District Judge Peter King told the defendant his normal policy was that anybody who spat blood at police officers invariably was sent to prison and he described the incident as “disgraceful”.

However, he said McCarthy had taken the chance he had been given at the earlier court.