Man who attacked police with baseball bat, assaulted partner and rammed police car jailed

A man who attacked police with a baseball bat, assaulted his partner and rammed a police car has been jailed at Derry Magistrate's Court.

Michael Nicell (35) of Balmoral Avenue in Derry admitted a total of 14 charges linked to an incident that occurred on January 15.

Nicell admitted 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 admitted assaulting a police officer, dangerous driving, failing to stop, remain and report an accident and possessing drugs. 

All of the offences occurred on January 15 except one assault that occurred on January 13.

The court that police were called by the defendant himself at 4.20am and was said he was going to cut his wife's throat after he discovered some weeks before that she had had an affair years ago. 

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 hit the top of the shield narrowly missing a police officer. 

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

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

He then 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.' 

The alleged victim told police Nicell had found out she had had an affair 5 years ago about 6 weeks prior. 

She said 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 told police 'when I get out I am still going to kill him and her.' 

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

Defense Barrister Jonathan Browne said that Nicell has a 'very brief' criminal record, telling the court that he had been in a relationship with the injured party for around ten years and that it had been a 'happy and uneventful' relationship.

He added that the injured party had been having affair with one of Nicell's best friends and that had been 'devastating' to him.

He said that Nicell's behavior on the night had been 'totally out of character'.

Nicell also apologized to the officer that had been assaulted.

Deputy District Judge Philip Mateer said that the offences had an 'evil motivation', sentencing him to six months in custody and disqualifying him from driving for three years.