Enniskillen Magistrates Court
A 27-year-old woman charged with driving her partner from the scene of an alleged attempted murder, appeared in court this week for breaching her very strict bail terms.
Nichola Leonard of Rosnarick Close in Derrygonnelly is accused of assisting an offender, as well as aiding and abetting both attempted murder and wounding.
At a bail hearing in Dungannon Crown Court last month Leonard asked for her electronic tag to be removed while she attends a wedding, as it “would not look good in photographs”.
She is charged with offences relating to an incident on 8 October 2016, during which it is alleged Leonard acted to impede the detection of her partner, Brendan McLaughlin who is charged with attempted murder of one male victim and malicious wounding of another.
Leonard allegedly drove McLaughlin from the scene afterwards.
McLaughlin is in custody on these matters while Leonard is on bail with very strict terms.
One of these includes no contact by any means with McLaughlin and not to consume alcohol.
Leonard broke the no alcohol ban at the weekend when she was found on Sunday lying on the ground on Forthill Road in Enniskillen intoxicated and banging her head.
Enniskillen Magistrates Court heard on Monday that she then kicked out at police, hitting one in the leg and calling them “black b******s” repeatedly.
She also refused to get into the police van.
Leonard was charged with disorderly behaviour, assaulting and resisting police.
Her barrister Alan Blackburn told District Judge Michael Ranaghan that his client had mistakenly believed that because she had some of her bail conditions eased recently, this meant that they were all lifted.
Mr Blackburn said that Leonard had been out celebrating her sister’s birthday at the weekend and had been denied entry to some premises in Enniskillen by police.
“She has little recollection of what happened and wishes to contest these charges.
“It may have been a genuine mistake and she didn’t realise that she couldn’t consume alcohol,” he said.
A police constable told the court that Leonard has previously breached her bail on three occasions.
The judge said Leonard warranted a chance to comply with her remaining bail conditions.
She is due to be sentenced on the outstanding matters in Dungannon on June 26th.
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