Derry man assaulted 'Good Samaritan' who tried to buy him pizza

A 30-year-old Derry man has assaulted another man who attempted to pay for his food in a Portrush pizza shop, a court has heard.

Thomas McBride, of Templeard, Ballynagard, Derry, entered a guilty plea to a charge of common assault at Coleraine Magistrates Court on Friday.

The court heard the defendant had been in Domino's Pizza, Portrush on the night of September 9 2020 when police received a call to say a man had been assaulted at the scene.

On attending, the injured party told police he had offered to pay for the defendant and one co-accused's food when he was assaulted.

The injured party suffered bruising to his head, and both defendants were identified and arrested, where McBride admitted some involvement and that he had been present at the time of the incident.

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"A living man doesn't plea," the defendant told the court.

Defence for McBride said he had 'little recollection' of the incident and that only still images from the CCTV were available.

They said he had considered the injured party's statement along with his own lack of recollection and decided to meet the charge head on with a guilty plea.

The defendant was intoxicated at the time of the offence and admitted to police that he 'got into trouble a lot' when he was younger.

Judge King fined McBride £200 for the offence, ordered him to pay £280 by way of compensation to the injured party and imposed a £15 offender's levy.