Enniskillen court
Teenager accused of ‘high violence’ charges refused compassionate bail
A teenager with a vast criminal record and currently remanded in custody on multiple new offences, has been refused compassionate bail to visit a relative in hospital, after a judge ruled the safety of the public had to be balanced against the circumstances, however acute.
A defence barrister made the application before East Tyrone Magistrates Court, in his client’s absence.
Connor Oliver Floyd (18) from Rossorry Church Road, Enniskillen is in custody on a total of 26 charges arising from the same incident on May 31.
These include disorderly behaviour, assaults on six police officers, assault on a police designated person, four counts of resisting arrest, eight counts of criminal damage, assaults on two females, burglary, possession of an offensive weapon and two counts of threats to kill.
The charges allege Floyd entered at house close to his home as a trespasser with intent to cause damage and while doing so was in possession of a crowbar. Damage is alleged to have been caused to the ground floor window of the property which is an Apex Housing Association dwelling, along with a fire-phone and a door. Two females are also alleged to have been assaulted, damage was caused to their cars, and Floyd is accused of threatening to kill them.
When police attended six officers were assaulted and four were resisted. After arrest, Floyd is accused of damaging police vehicle, and a cell van as well as endangering the life of an officer by causing damage to a windscreen and front window of a police vehicle.
A police officer objecting to the application, told the court bail had previously been refused at both magistrates and high court in respect of the current charges.
She added Floyd has 81 previous convictions.
In turn a lawyer for the prosecution advised she had not been made aware of the application prior to it coming to court and the procedure for this had not been followed.
A defence barrister explained he had only been given basic information by his instructing solicitor such was the urgency of the application for compassionate bail. He continued Floyd was seeking to visit a relative in hospital and the matter had been moved as quickly as possible. However he accepted he had no medical corroboration to submit and was relying on information passed by a social worker.
District Judge John Meehan commented; “There are 26 charges of high violence against the defendant as recently as May. This is an utterly unimpressive application which is not properly prepared or presented to the court. Compassionate bail is objected to by police and they inform me there are 81 previous convictions on record.”
Throwing the application out, Judge Meehan said, “I have to balance the safety of the public against the circumstances however acute they may be. I refuse on those grounds and because the defence have failed to make an adequate application.”
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