15-year-old youth remanded for kicking and stomping on a man's head

A judge at Derry Magistrates' Court said that while it was unusual to remand a youth in custody she felt that there was no other option after hearing how the youth and another male 'kicked and stamped' on a man's head.

The 15-year-old appeared charged with attempted grievous bodily harm on a man on July 2.

The court heard that CCTV operators alerted police to an assault in the city centre. 

They reported that two males, one of them the youth, kicked another man on the ground in an unprovoked assault. 

The 15-year-old was said to have been seen 'jumping' on the man's head and then kicking his head so hard it hit off a wall behind him. 

When arrested the youth made a no comment interview and a police officer said he showed 'no remorse'.

Bail was opposed as the youth had 12 previous convictions and they police officer said this offence could have been much more serious.

She added that the youth had recently been added to a list of top offenders in the city.

The court was told that police did not believe the youth could be managed by any conditions. 

Defence counsel Sean Doherty said that the youth could be released to an address approved by Social Services. He accepted that the charges were very serious. 

District Judge Oonagh Mullan said that this assault could well have resulted in a fatality. She said it was 'absolutely shocking' to hear about someone stomping on another person's head.

She said while it was unusual not to grant bail to a youth in this case she was refusing bail.

The youth was remanded in custody to appear again on July 31.