Man charged with assaulting his partner while she was holding six-month-old baby

A man has appeared at Derry Magistrate's Court charged with assaulting his partner while she was holding her six-month-old baby and threatening to kill her and another man.

Michael Nicell (34) of Balmoral Avenue in Derry faced a total of 14 charges linked to an incident that was said to have occurred on January 15.

Nicell was charged with assaulting a female occasioning her actual bodily harm, assault, threats to kill, arson and possessing an offensive weapon namely a baseball bat. 

He was also charged with assaulting a police officer, dangerous driving, failing to stop, remain and report an accident and possessing drugs. 

All of the offences were said to have occurred on January 15 except one assault that was alleged to have occurred on January 13.

The defendant was connected to the charges and bail was opposed. 

A police officer told the court that police were called by the defendant himself at 4.20am and was said to have made threats against his wife and a man. 

When police arrived Nicell was said to have refused them entry and grabbed a baseball bat and started waving it about. 

Police had to use a shield to try and enter the property and at one stage Nicell was said to have hit the top of the shield narrowly missing a police officer. 

Nicell was then said to have fled from the address in a car only to return a short time later and allegedly rammed a police vehicle. 

A chase was said to have occurred and during it Nicell was said to have driven at speed and on the wrong side of the road before entering a car park and crashing into a fence. 

He was said to have produced a knife and police had to use batons to arrest him. 

He was detained and was said to have told police 'take me straight to the barracks. F--k you and f--k the judge. When I get out I will kill them.' 

An officer told the court that the alleged victim told police there had been a domestic incident on January 13 and Nicell had assaulted her then. 

She then claimed on January 15 Nicell had become aggressive and she had been in her bedroom with her two children when the defendant had assaulted her on several occasions once while she was holding her baby. 

She then barricaded herself and the children in after Nicell was said to have threatened to stab her. 

The woman had bruising to her face and body. 

After his arrest Nicell was said to have told police 'they are still going to die'. 

At interview he said ye could not recall any of the events due to having consumed a mixture of cocaine and alcohol. 

Bail was opposed due to the risk of re-offending and the threats Nicell was said to have made. 

Defence counsel Nicki Rountree said that her client had an address in the city but if the court was not satisfied with that she would ask for an adjournment to see if an address outside the city could be found. 

Deputy District Judge Liam McStay said that he was not committing himself to any course of action but at the very least he required 'an address well outside the city.'

He adjourned the application until January 22 and Nicell was remanded in custody.