A twenty-six-year-old man has been jailed for a spate of offending some of which stretches back well over two years while the rest occurred knowing he was facing the original matters.
Jody Dowzell of Castle Hill Caledon contended he was vulnerable due to mental health issues although accepted this was no excuse.
Dungannon Magistrates’ Court heard on March 5, 2022 police received a report from a woman who said her Range Rover had been taken from her property in Killylea, outside Armagh, the previous night by a male.
She explained her son had returned home around 10.45pm and discovered the male acting suspiciously in the yard attached to the family’s farm.
This was Dalzell who, when challenged, claimed the farmer had asked him to check the cattle.
The son went inside to alert his parents and when they went outside Dowzell had gone and so was their vehicle.
On making enquiries in the area they were informed Dowzell had been seen acting suspiciously earlier that day and later located their vehicle with the keys still in the ignition parked near his home.
Damage had been caused to the vehicle when Dowzell reversed it into a tanker.
Two months later Dowzell attended Armagh PSNI Station for interview where he admitted taking the car, causing damage and driving it without insurance.
Although the charges occurred in 2022 they only reached court a few months ago and it is unclear why they took so long to be prosecuted.
Then on November 4, 2023 police attended Dowzell’s home on an unrelated matter and during a search around 22gms of cannabis in two plastic bags was discovered hidden behind a computer in his bedroom.
He admitted this was for personal use and cost around £200.
Finally at around 6.30pm on May 15, this year, police received a report of an incident in the Main Street area of Caledon in which a man had been assaulted.
On arrival officers discovered the victim covered in blood having sustained a split lip.
He said he had been standing on a footpath with a friend when he was approached by an unknown male who swore then punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground.
This transpired to be Dowzell who walked away but returned a short time later and was arrested close to the scene.
A cut was noted to his right-hand knuckle consistent with the punch.
He was interviewed and made a full admission stating he punched the victim because he was angry but could not explain what caused this.
Prior to the incident he said he, “got out of a car, saw an unknown man and punched him in the face”.
A defence barrister said Dowzell was vulnerable with mental health issues, however conceded he was found fit for interview when psychiatrically assessed and “it is not an excuse or defence for his behaviour, which he has always admitted in interview”.
In terms specifically of the assault, the defence contended: “This was a strange and totally unacceptable incident, which was also admitted at the first opportunity.”
District Judge Francis Rafferty told Dowzell: “You attacked a member of the public simply going about his business, striking him with such force he caused actual bodily harm for no other reason than you were angry. You were unable to tell police what you were angry about.”
At this Dowzell spoke out: “It was because someone told me to kill myself.”
The judge replied: “I’m not looking for a response from you. It was an assault on an innocent member of the public. That is unconscionable behaviour.”
A sentence of eight months imprisonment was imposed on this matter, with two months for the motoring matters and one month for the drugs.
Driving was disqualified for two years.
