Man charged with possession of a number of weapons and assault following Strand Road incident

A man has appeared at Derry Magistrates' Court charged with possession of a number of weapons and assault following an incident outside a shopping centre in Derry. 

Solomon Kobe (41) of no fixed abode was arrested on April 1 after allegedly assaulting a man that tried to restrain him following an incident that was said to have occurred at Quayside Shopping Centre. 

Two witnesses claimed to have seen Kobe harassing a woman in Tesco leading to them attempting to physically restrain him.

The men were subsequently pursued by Kobe and he proceeded to punch one of them and spat in the eye of another.

Kobe was then said to have reached into his pocket where a knife fell out.

Following his arrest, police found, in addition to the knife, what appeared to be a shoemaker's four inch needle and a modified Taser-like device shaped like a torch.

When interviewed, he claimed that he was going to return the knife to a lock-up and had been planning on using the needle as a tooth-pick for food he was going to buy in Tesco.

The taser, he said, was to be used as a dog deterrent as he was regularly attacked by dogs.

Kobe claimed that a woman had been staring at him in Tesco while the two witnesses claim that he had been chasing her.

He claimed that he had only been acting in self-defence but CCTV did not corroborate Kobe's claim and police asked him about a similar incident in Strabane that appeared to involve him the week before in similar circumstances. 

Kobe admitted that the video from this prior incident was him.

Police objected to bail as they believe he is at risk of fleeing as he has no ties to anyone or anywhere in the city.

Kobe who was representing himself asked for bail but Deputy District Judge Noel Dunlop said the court knew little about the defendant who only came here in February and refused bail. 

He was remanded in custody and will appear again on May 1.