Enniskillen Courthouse
A 24-year-old man from Enniskillen, who assaulted his then boyfriend at the Diamond has been fined £300 after appearing at Fermanagh Magistrates Court.
Dean Jonathan McKenzie, now of Tates Avenue, Belfast appeared in court where he pleaded guilty to a charge of common assault and attempted criminal damage.
The prosecutor explained that on May 10, 2014 at 2am CCTV footage alerted police to a male being assaulted at the Diamond, Enniskillen.
Both males involved in the altercation then ran off in the direction of Charlie’s Bar. Police located the two in Belmore Street and spoke to the injured party who told them he had been slapped across the face by his partner McKenzie.
Officers noted the injured party was visibly upset and had a red mark below his right eye. McKenzie was arrested on suspicion of common assault.
En route to the police station McKenzie became irate and headbutted the police vehicle. The next day during interview the defendant admitted the assault, but said it was in self-defence. In regards to the attempted criminal damage he told police he had intended to hurt himself, rather than cause any damage.
The defence solicitor highlighted to the court that no complaint was ever made from his client’s former partner and the prosecution had only moved forward on account of the CCTV footage.
On the night in question the defence explained that McKenzie and his partner had been in Enniskillen and were highly intoxicated, with the defendant having very little memory of the events.
He claimed that the CCTV footage showed that the altercation between the two wasn’t a ‘one way street’ and stated that while there were slaps from the defendant, he had also been shoved by his partner.
The solicitor called the altercation ‘handbags’ and noted that the attempted criminal damage was borne out of frustration. The defence highlighted McKenzie’s clear record, bar an incident in 2010 and told the court of his the defendant’s long history of depression, self- harm and previous attempted suicides.
He said McKenzie was a delicate, but very nice person and said that “a conditional discharge might be the merit of the matter.”
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