Man facing charge of assaulting woman given new bail address after Aldervale flats fire in Craigavon

Caolan Murray, who appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court on Friday, was asked to stand in the dock by Resident Magistrate Bernie Kelly who said she understood the defendant was seeking a change of address.

-

-

A fire at Aldervale Flats in Craigavon, where Murray had been bailed to, substantially destroyed the building.

Murray, aged 25, whose previous address was Ailsbury Park in Lurgan had been banned from the town after appearing before Craigavon Magistrates Court two weeks ago on charges of unlawfully assaulting a woman on August 24 this year as well as criminal damage of a TV, a table and an ashtray on the same date.

“Subject to the amendment of his bail address, to Willowfield Crescent, Craigavon, he is due back in court on September 22,” said the District Judge who changed that until September 29. The District Judge said all other terms of bail remain the same.

At a previous court Murray’s solicitor Richard Monteith said his client was applying for bail but this was opposed by the PSNI. An officer told the court Murray had no suitable bail address and there had been five previous bail breaches since 2020. Mr Monteith said he could live with his mother but the PSNI officer said this address is too close to the injured party.

During Mr Monteith’s presentation to the court regarding Murray’s mother’s home being used as a bail address, District Judge Bernie Kelly said: “What way would we look at this if we are telling any alleged injured party you are not allowed to go up the street, not allowed to go shopping, not allowed to go about your daily business because he can’t be banned from Lurgan town centre?’”

Under questioning from Mr Monteith, the police officer said the breaches of bail related to Murray being drunk and not adhering to curfews. “He also had a knife to his own throat as police were trying to arrest him during one bail breach,” said the officer.

Mr Monteith said: “On November 2, 2020 matters were dealt with in Lisburn because of Covid and there he received a period of imprisonment. Then subsequent to that there was one entry on November 13, 2020 for which he received a suspended sentence and then August 2021 relating to offences in 2020 and the final one is July 3, 2021. There doesn’t appear to be bail breaches.”

The officer said he appreciated there hadn’t been bail breaches for two-and-a-half years.

Permitting bail for Murray to live in Aldervale in Craigavon, District Judge Kelly attached stringent conditions which, she said, if he didn’t adhere to he would spend his time in custody until the files are ready.

He was released on his own bail of £500 to live only at that address, under curfew from 9pm to 6am, banned from all premises selling intoxicating liquor, banned from possessing alcohol or drinking it.

He is banned from all drugs not prescribed to him. He is banned from contacting the injured party by any means including social media. Murray is also banned from Lurgan as well as the Taghnevan estate.