Details were given to Ballymena Magistrates' Court where Thomas Coleman (32), with an address given as Castle Gardens in Ballymena, had been charged with assault. When searched by police the defendant was in possession of a knife which had a "six inch" blade. He was also charged in relation to that.
Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to NorthernIrelandWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you. The incident happened on March 12 this year and also that day the defendant had stolen boxer shorts worth £70 from a DV8 shop and clothing worth £10 from Poundland. In relation to the assault, a prosecutor said a man told police he had been standing at Church Street when he was approached by an "unknown" man and woman "who asked him for money" and when he refused they became aggressive and he was "pulled to the ground by this male and assaulted by the female".
Meanwhile, on November 24, 2022, the defendant "filled a backpack" with vodka bottles worth £180 at Tesco in Ballymena and also took a similar amount of alcohol the next day. On October 26 last year he stole vodka worth £120 from Tesco in Ballymena. Advertisement Advertisement The defendant appeared at court via video link from prison where he had been for four months.
A defence barrister said the defendant has "ongoing battles with addiction" and much of his offending was connected with that. The lawyer accepted the court would "take a dim view" of the number of.
