Co Antrim man jailed for attacking elderly father with bottle

Paul Coulter was sentenced to two years and two months for wounding his father, and was also issued with a two-year restraining order banning him from contacting or pestering his parents.

Coulter’s father, who was 70 when he was attacked by his son, required 24 sutures to facial wounds sustained when he was struck with the bottle, which was later found covered in blood in Coulter’s bedroom.

The 44-year-old father of four, who was living at the family home at Ardtole Park in Newtownabbey when he carried out the attack on August 21 last year, initially denied attempting to murder his father.

When a lesser charge of wounding was put to him at Belfast Crown Court, he replied ‘guilty’.

He also admitted two charges of criminal damage –one for spitting at police following his arrest, and also for damaging his mother’s mobile phone.

Neither Coulter’s mother nor his father were prepared to give evidence against him.

Coulter’s barrister, Gavan Duffy QC, said his client was “very, very heavily under the influence of alcohol and cannabis, and unfortunately matters came to a head where he simply lost control and acted in what he accepts was a reprehensible way”.