Man charged with criminal damage, disorderly behaviour and assault jailed

A man has appeared at Derry Magistrates Court charged with criminal damage, disorderly behaviour and assault.

Christopher Villa (34) of Ballyarnett Village in Derry was charged with, on November 29 last year, assaulting the owner of Bus Stop Stores after police were alerted to an incident in Foyle Street.

The court heard that Villa was drunk and shouting racist abuse at Ibrahim Mosad Dandousha, punching him and ripping his coat. 

As police arrested him, he was heard to say that when he was released and sober he'd return and 'rip his head off'.

Upon sobering up and being interviewed by police, Villa claimed that he didn't mean any of what he said, saying that he wasn't racist as 'life's too short’.

Defence Barrister Stephen Chapman said that Villa's downfall was clearly alcohol and that he admitted that the way he treated people was 'despicable'.

Deputy District Judge Liam McStay said that Villa had 60 previous convictions, a lot of which included his violent behaviour in public, adding that a string of suspended sentences 'hadn't curbed it', sentencing him to five months in custody.