Case against Derry man charged with domestic violence adjourned

The case against a man due for sentencing for a series of domestic violence charges has been adjourned after his victim indicated she did not want a Restraining Order to be imposed.

Brendan Joseph Harkin (43) of Cornshell Fields in Derry admitted a assault occasioning actual bodily harm on his former partner, three assaults on police, common assault, resisting police and one charge of criminal damage that occurred on January 10 this year.

The court heard that police were called to a report of an ongoing domestic incident. 

They spoke to the victim whose clothing was torn and was 'distressed' as we're five children who had witnessed the incident.

The woman said an argument had started and Harkin had punched her in the face. 

She ran to a bedroom and phone the police and Harkin was said to have damaged the bedroom door punching it. 

The defendant's daughter said she had seen her father enter the room in an intoxicated state.

She said she saw the defendant slap her mother and throw things as well as ripping her mother's clothes. 

When police spoke to Harkin he became aggressive and had to be handcuffed but kicked two officers. 

When he was arrested 14 Diazepam tablets were found on him.

Defence counsel Eoghan Devlin said that clearly this was a case where custody was inevitable and the only question was how long. 

When the injured party indicated that she did not want a Restraining Order imposed District Judge Barney McElholm said that in his 25 years as a judge he had witnessed the damage done to children by domestic violence. 

He said this was something that 'should not be taken lightly' and said he would adjourn the sentencing until next week to allow the position on the Restraining Order to be clarified.

Harkin is in custody and will appear again on July 7.