Derry Court: Student remanded for assaults on his two female housemates

A student at the Ulster University at Magee has been remanded in custody at Derry Magistrate's Court today after admitting assaulting his two housemates.

Daniel Ianko (22) of Argyle Terrace in Derry appeared charged with two counts of assault against two females on January 30 and a charge of criminal damage on the same date.

The court heard that police were called to Argyle Terrace to student accommodation where a male was acting aggressively.

They found two females in 'hysterics' who threw a bunch of keys down so police could let themselves into the property.

They found Ianko banging loudly on the bedroom door where the two females were.

The injured parties told police they only knew the defendant a matter of days and earlier in evening he had been 'acting odd' and making sexist remarks towards them and drinking from a bottle of vodka.

When one of the females was in the bathroom Ianko tried to gain entry.

Afterwards the females went to challenge him about that and found him urinating against a wall.

He began' shouting aggressively' towards them and waving his fists about leading the females to believe they were going to be assaulted.

Ianko took his shirt off and wrapped it around his fist and was 'using aggressive and foul language'.

The women locked themselves in a room and called the police.

Damage estimated at £200 was caused by Ianko.

A police officer said the defendant had no record in this jurisdiction but had 33 previous convictions in the Republic.

He said Ianko told police he was studying to be an actor and was only 'mirroring behaviour' he was watching on his phone.

Defence counsel Sinead Rogan said that the offences were aggravated by the fact the injured parties were two females.

She said the offences were 'fuelled by alcohol' and the defendant was getting help.

The barrister said that the incident would have 'great ramifications' for Ianko as he had lost his accommodation and possibly could lose his place at university.

District Judge Barney McElholm said if he was mirroring behaviour he was watching he may have been watching stuff 'from that chap detained in Romania'.

He said no one should be exposed to this sort of behaviour and added it must have been 'awful' for the two students.

He asked for a pre-sentence report to be prepared and remanded Ianko in custody to appear again on February 9.