Enniskillen Court House, RMGFH04
AN Enniskillen man who broke a window at his ex-partner’s house and threatened to burn it down has been released on bail after calling to the woman’s house again last week.
Kieran Rowley (26) of Kilmacormick Road, Enniskillen was arrested last Tuesday night after breaching his bail conditions. He is was on bail for charges of criminal damage, threats to damage property, common assault, attempted criminal damage, and threats to kill.
The charges arose out of an incident on August 21 when, just after 2.30am, police were called to a home in Kilmacormick by a woman who said her ex-partner was at her home and was refusing to leave. She said he had broken a window and was still outside.
When police arrived Rowley was outside the house along with his mother. He told the officers he’d smashed the window and offered to pay for it.
His ex-partner told police she had been standing outside at around 1.30am when Rowley came along. He commented on how she was dressed and smashed the window, threatened to smash the rest of the windows of the house, and threatened to burn the house down with her in it.
Rowley was arrested and granted bail to appear in court next month, however he was arrested last Tuesday night, September 20, after breaching a condition of his bail not to contact or be within 50 metres of his ex-partner’s house.
The court heard his ex-partner, who was home alone with her three young children who were sleeping, called police because Rowley was shouting through her letterbox in an aggressive manner.
The court heard Rowley’s brother his brother had called to the house at around 10.50pm to pick up a TV belonging to the defendant but had difficulty. When the woman allowed Rowley’s brother to enter the house, the defendant then came in also.
He was arrested for breach of bail and appeared at Enniskillen Magistrates Court the next day, Wednesday, September 21.
Police voiced concerns about Rowley being released on bail again, explaining his house was a short distance from the injured party, “around a five minute walk.” They said they would oppose bail unless strict conditions were imposed on the defendant, including a ban on him entering the 30mph zone of Enniskillen town so his ex-partner could shop and go about her business without fear of running into him.
District Judge Paul Copeland said Rowley had gone to his former partner’s house “in the dead of night” while their children were asleep inside, and acted in an intimidating manner.
Defence solicitor Sean McHugh said Rowley, who had two children with his former partner, accepted the charge of criminal damage on the first occasion, and accepted he was foolish to breach his bail by calling to the house for the TV.
Judge Copeland said the court took a serious view of the abuse of a woman alone with children in her care, whom he said were vulnerable, and said Rowley “didn’t do himself any favours taking matters into his own hands in the pursuit of personal property.”
He released Rowley on bail of £500, pending the approval of a suitable bail address by police, on the condition he does not contact his ex-partner, that he keeps to a curfew, and that he does not enter Enniskillen as defined by the 30mph speed limit zone.
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