Man charged with arson and domestic violence remanded at Derry Court

A man has been remanded in custody at Derry Magistrate's Court charged with a series of counts involving arson and domestic violence.

David Anderson (33) of Mullaghboy Crescent in Magherafelt was charged with arson with intent to endanger life on January 7.

He was also charged with two assaults aggravated by domestic abuse on the same date, criminal damage to kitchen appliances on January 6 as well as threats to kill and damage property on the same date.

Anderson was also charged with possessing an offensive weapon namely a knuckle duster somewhere between Toome and Belfast.

A police officer connected the accused to the charges and opposed bail.

He told the court that police were called to a 999 call from a female who told them Anderson had caused damage to property. 

When police arrived they found the alleged injured party to be 'visibly distressed'.

She told them that the defendant had been drinking and she had asked him to go to bed.

The woman said that at that Anderson became aggressive and used a sledgehammer and hit a cooker, a washing machine and the floor causing damage.

She also told police Anderson had grabbed her by the throat and slapped her across the face.

The police were told that later the woman went down and asked Anderson to go to bed again and he had kicked the door off the washing machine and then set fire to a bag of rubbish in the kitchen.

He was also said to have threatened to burn the woman's house.

The police officer also gave details of the original charges Anderson was on bail for that were said to have occurred on March 5 2020.

It was alleged that he had came to a house where his former partner was and broke down the door and assaulted her with a hammer causing a head wound.

Bail was opposed due to the fact that the defendant had 28 previous convictions and there was a risk of re-offending and also that the address proposed was only one third of a mile from the alleged victim's address.

A defence solicitor said that the proposed address was actually some six miles from the woman's.

District Judge Barney McElholm said that one third of a mile or 6 miles was immaterial as either was too close.

He refused bail and remanded Anderson in custody to appear again on February 8.