Co Armagh man who threatened to punch his own mother locked up

A Craigavon man who threatened to hit his own mother and breached bail conditions by drinking has been sentenced to five months in prison.

Martin Doran, 23, of Moyraverty, appeared at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court, via videolink from Maghaberry, pleaded guilty to common assault, disorderly behaviour and resisting police.

These charges related to two separate incidents which occurred within weeks of each other.

The first occurred on March 22, at around 6.20pm when police were called to a domestic by the defendant’s mother.

She told police that Doran had arrived at her home intoxicated and when he was asked to leave the defendant began verbally abusing her.

The woman stated that she was scared as he was “almost nose to nose with her” and told her “I beat him, I will beat you”, in reference to his brother.

She then ran to the kitchen and contacted police.

Doran was later arrested and made no comment during police interview.

The second offence occurred on April 11, while the defendant was on bail for the first charge.

Police attended to a call in Market Street, Lurgan and it was there officers spotted Doran run from the scene.

He was eventually apprehended but became aggressive and swore at police as he was arrested.

Defence counsel stated that the defendant’s “difficulties lie in his abuse of alcohol”.

With regards to his mother, the defence said he pleaded guilty as he wished to “rebuild bridges”, and that she had informed him this would happen “purely on the condition that he abstains from alcohol”.

It was revealed to the court that the second offence happened on Doran’s 23rd birthday and that he had taken alcohol, which was a breach of his bail conditions.

The defence explained that police had been called to a report of a person running from a taxi before clarifying that this was not the defendant, as he had stayed with the driver.

They added that he then realised he was in breach of his bail conditions and ran off.

He was quickly apprehended, with defence saying he later apologised after sobering up.

Court also heard that Doran had a five-month suspended sentence, which was still live, for disorderly behaviour dating back to November 2016.

District Judge Bernie Kelly said she “certified these offences so serious there is only one penalty I can impose”.

For these offences, he was sentenced to three months in prison.

Doran’s suspended sentence was reduced to two months by the judge, leaving a total time to serve as five months.

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