Derry woman charged with assaulting her neighbours

An alleged dispute between neighbours has led to a woman appearing in Derry Magistrates Court charged with two counts of assault and two counts of possession of offensive weapons. 

Cherie Wilson, 49, of the Strand Road, was charged with assaulting her neighbours on August 28 this year. 

She was further charged with possession of offensives weapons, namely a knife and brush shaft on the same date. 

The court heard that the charges relate to an incident that was said to have occurred on August 28 this year when police were called to an ongoing disturbance at the defendant's home address. 

They found Wilson intoxicated in the hallway of the building and was swearing at police. 

She is alleged to have threatened her neighbour with a knife, saying she was going to cut her throat. 

The neighbour's husband then returned home and found Wilson outside the apartment drinking and found his wife in a 'distressed state'.

Wilson was then said to have hit the man and told him 'I'm going to get you'. 

The neighbour rang 999 and ran away as fast as he could while Wilson hit him with a brush. 

In the Strand Road police station, Wilson admitted to drinking in the communal area of the building but claimed the allegations of assault were 'all lies'. 

She denied ever having a knife and said that she did hit the complainant on the shoulder but had no intent to hurt him.

Defence solicitor Aisling Anderson said that Wilson had made allegations against the complainants. 

She said that the main issue was that the allegations s involved neighbours and there was no acceptable bail address. 

District Judge Barney McElhom said that releasing Wilson back to the same address would be 'asking for trouble' but agreed to bail her to an address agreed by police.

Wilson was ordered to have no contact with the injured party and the case was adjourned until September 7.