Derry man who stood in street wearing only his underpants and threatened neighbours with a baseball bat refused bail

An ‘extremely violent and unpredictable’ Derry man threatened his neighbours with a baseball bat as he stood in the street wearing nothing but his underpants, a court has heard.

Michael McLaughlin, 35 of Glenabbey Road, is charged that on July 23, he was in possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, namely a plank of wood.

He is further charged with disorderly behaviour, threats to kill, and common assault on the same date.

The defendant was also in breach of bail in relation to a separate offence.

Police were contacted around 9.25pm on Sunday by the defendant’s neighbours who said he was outside their block of flats ‘causing a disturbance’.

A police officer told the court that McLaughlin was ‘wearing nothing but boxer shorts and brandishing a baseball bat’.

He said the defendant threatened to ‘slit his neighbour’s throat’ and ‘beat him with a bat’.

Remnants of a white patio chair were found at the scene.

When police located the defendant and spoke to him, ‘he was wearing only boxer shorts’, and his flat was in ‘disarray’ with ‘empty Buckfast bottles’ strewn around the place.

When asked about possessing a bat ‘or possible chair leg’, the 35-year-old said he was ‘not guilty’.

During police interview the defendant ‘completely denied all offences’.

He told officers he invited friends around, and they had been playing music loudly when someone, not him, went outside and threw a chair from the balcony out on to the street.

At that point, he went outside, and was threatened by neighbours ‘from above and below’, who ‘threatened to slit his throat’, he claimed.

McLaughlin said his neighbours want him out of the flat.

The police officer said he has breached bail several times, and it is the second time the defendant has been charged since June, including one incident when police believe he ‘struck a 10-year-old boy with a car when he was intoxicated’.

He also said that on Friday past, the 35-year-old was on Creggan Street, where he attempted to get on a motorbike and drive off when he was in an ‘extremely poor state’.

The officer said he blew a reading of zero on a preliminary breath test, however, twenty hours later he was ‘still high’ and they are awaiting the results of a drugs test.

‘He has no control when it comes to drug and alcohol abuse, and is extremely violent and unpredictable when intoxicated,’ he added.

Defence solicitor Paddy MacDermott said his client would contest that it was others who threatened him.

He said McLaughlin suffered from health difficulties and denies alleged offences from June 8.

Mr MacDermott asked for his client to be released, subject to ‘stringent bail conditions’.

District Judge Barney McElholm said the only address he would consider is one at a residential alcohol and drugs treatment unit.

“He is clearly a danger to the public and can’t be trusted with any bail conditions.  And there is a clear risk of further offending.

“A no alcohol in a public place condition will not work with this man,” added Judge McElholm.

Bail was refused and the defendant remanded in custody to appear again on August 17 by way of video link.