Search
06 Sept 2025
Search
06 Sept 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
Derry Magistrates Court
Derry Magistrate's Court heard today how a man was alleged to have called at his former partner's home six times within the space of two days.
David Laird (31) of Broighter Court in Derry appeared charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm on a female on a date between June 1 and June 30 2022 with the offence aggravated by domestic abuse.
He was also charged with harrassment of the same female on August 18 and a further charge of engaging in a course of action that was abusive in 2023.
A police officer connected the accused to the charges and opposed bail.
He told the court that the alleged victim in the case said that the defendant came into her home several times a day and made allegations of physical and psychological abuse against him.
She said he had controlled her refusing to allow her to leave the house and since their separation he had come to the house repeatedly.
Police were given 40 clips from CCTV camera allegedly showing the defendant at the house on some occasions kicking at the door.
When the woman was giving her account to police she became 'visibly distressed' and so did her daughter when she talked to police.
As regards the GBH charge the officer said that last year the woman claimed Laird had followed her to a friend's house pushed her against a wall and grabbed her face and she felt a cracker.
The woman claimed she had a fracture to her jaw as a result.
Bail was opposed due to the address put forward for Laird being too close to the alleged victim.
The officer said that the woman was 'terrified' and believed Laird was going to kill her.
Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley said that there was 'no prospect' of an address outside the city.
He said as regards the GBH his client maintained it was self defence and said the woman had slapped him and he had pushed her away.
The solicitor said that as regards the injuries on the woman medical evidence would have to be obtained.
District Judge Oonagh Mullan said that a course of behaviour was being alleged against this defendant.
She said she would release him on bail to an address outside the city approved by the PSNI.
He has to observe a curfew and wear a tag and is to have no contact with the alleged victim nor to enter the city of Derry.
Laird will appear again on September 14.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
