A Romanian man appeared in court on Tuesday accused of assaulting all of his family, including his two-year-old son.
Armagh Magistrates’ Court, sitting in Lisburn, heard allegations that 28-year-old Adrian Antosco broke his partner’s cheek bone when he backhanded her, assaulted his teenage step-daughter by grabbing her and throwing her against the wall and slapped his young son across the face.
Appearing at court, via videolink from police custody, Antosco, with an address at Woodside Hill in Portadown, was charged with causing grievous bodily harm, common assault and making a threat to kill his partner on June 7 this year and a further charge of assaulting his son on June 3.
Giving evidence to the court a Detective Constable said she believed she could connect Antosco to the charges, describing how staff at Craigavon Area Hospital contacted police on Monday when his partner had to be treated for a fractured cheekbone.
The victim told police that on Sunday, there had been a “verbal argument” between Antosco and his 15-year-old step-daughter about her “texting boys from her phone”.
“She said that the defendant grabbed her by both arms and pushed her backwards so she fell against the wall,” said the detective.
While the teenager was not injured her mum – Antosco’s partner – stepped between them to “stop her daughter getting hurt” and pushed him back but the defendant allegedly hit the right side of her face with the back of his right hand, fracturing her cheekbone and then kicked her “numerous times” while she was in the floor.
She also told police that a few days previously, the couples’ two-year-old son had been toying with the buttons on the cooker when Antosco allegedly “slapped him on the right hand side of his face.”
Arrested and interviewed, the court heard that Antosco admitted hitting his partner, grabbing his step daughter and “pushing” his son but denied lashing out with kicks or that he slapped his son.
The officer conceded that while Antosco had a clear record with no domestic violence history, she was objecting to bail due to concerns about witness interference and further offences being committed as his partner “is afraid of repercussions if he is freed”.
Defence solicitor Gabriel Ingram argued that with conditions, Antosco could be freed and District Judge Amanda Brady agreed that while “I can understand police concerns…on balance I’m going to admit him to bail”.
Freed on his own bail of £250, she told Antosco he would have to find a nail address which police would approve and barred him from entering Portadown and from contacting his alleged victims.
The case was adjourned to July 4.
