Derry Court: Suspended sentence for man with 'Johnson syndrome' who admitted domestic abuse charge

District Judge Barney McElholm has said at Derry Magistrate's Court that a man suffers from 'the Johnson syndrome it's all me, me, me'.

His comments came in the case of James McCallion (31) of Hillcrest in Derry who admitted charges of assault, two threats to kill and domestic abuse offence that occurred on December 9 last. 

The court heard that police were called to a report of a woman screaming and on arrival they separated the pair and spoke to the woman. 

She said that McCallion had been out drinking with his cousin and she had told him to stay with his mother as she didn't want an argument. 

He returned to the house and an argument started and when she went screaming to the door he pulled her away. 

He accused her of contacting his cousin and threatened her and her father if he found out anything was going on. 

The woman said McCallion constantly put her down calling her stupid and went through her phone. 

At interview McCallion said he had said he would talk to the woman in the morning. 

He said he stopped her screaming as he didn't want a scene. 

He denied hitting her but admitted going through her phone to check messages to his cousin. 

Defence counsel Fergal McCormick said his client 'held his hands up' to the offences. 

Judge McElholm said that this defendant acted 'like a 3-year-old toddler having a temper tantrum.' 

He sentenced him to 6 months in prison suspended for two years.