A number of people have appeared at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court in relation to incidents including the alleged false imprisonment of a woman who, it is claimed, had a cigarette stubbed out on her hand and a “dog chain” attached to her neck.
Cherelle Alexander (35), of Princes Street, Dromore; Maia Livingstone (32), of Inglewood Lodge in Portadown; Kevin Campbell (31), of Pinebank, Craigavon; and Conal McAlinden (32), of Drumnamoe Gardens, Lurgan, appeared at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
Between January 24-26 this year there was an alleged kidnapping and false imprisonment of a woman, as well as an arson of a car at Millennium Way in Lurgan on January 28.
Alexander is charged with kidnapping and false imprisonment of a woman; threatening to kill her; and assaulting her occasioning actual bodily harm. She is also charged with arson of a car.
Livingstone faces charges of kidnap, false imprisonment, grievous bodily harm and possession of cocaine and pregabalin.
McAlinden is charged with driving whilst unfit, possession of pregabalin, false imprisonment, causing grievous bodily harm and arson.
Campbell is charged with possession of pregabalin, grievous bodily harm, false imprisonment and arson.
Gerald Graham (37), of Thomas Street in Portadown, is charged with arson of a car and wasting police time on January 28.
A police officer told the court that on the afternoon of Saturday, January 24 this year there was a report of a “fight” on the street in the Mark Court area of Lurgan.
It was reported that a female was being assaulted by “up to five people”.
A female had a swollen and bruised face.
She told police that earlier that morning she returned to her address to find a number of people at her home.
She named them, including one of them being Kevin Campbell – “known as Devil”, the court was told.
The woman said they kicked and punched her repeatedly before they covered her head and removed her from her home and bundled her into a car against her will and took her to an address at Mark Street.
The woman claimed females took her into the address against her will and held her at the address for a number of hours when she was subjected to repeated assaults.
She said she got out but was dragged back in by the females.
The woman said females pulled her top over her head whilst dragging her back inside “leaving her chest bare to the public”.
The woman told police females kicked her about the head and body, beating her and pulling her hair.
The officer said the woman alleged a female “put a cigarette out on her hand and tried to burn her eye with it”.
The woman claimed she was forced into a bedroom on a third floor and alleged a female tied up her hands and legs and “put on a dog chain around her neck and attempted to choke her”.
She was left tied up and the females left the room, court heard.
The woman was able to untie herself and got out of a window and fell onto a pitched roof before holding onto guttering and dropping to the ground.
She said she ran but people ran after her and punched and kicked her. A member of the public intervened and individuals left the area before police arrived.
The woman told police she had “significant injuries” including a nose fracture and “significant swelling and bruising over her entire body” and spent five days in hospital.
The officer said it had been a “sustained, vicious and brutal attack” and the victim “may suffer permanent damage”.
The officer said the woman sustained “multiple fractures to her face and also sustained burns to her hand and forehead”.
The woman said she was threatened that they would “torture” her family members including her four-year-old son if she told police what happened.
Objecting to bail, the police officer said there had been a “rampage” of incidents over a number of days whilst individuals were “high on drugs”.
The officer said there was a “sense of fear” in the community.
Defence for Livingstone said she denied being involved in the alleged kidnapping incident and was not involved in the car arson.
Campbell’s defence said he denied committing any offences towards the injured woman.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan remanded Alexander, Campbell and Graham into custody.
Livingstone and McAlinden were bailed with conditions including not to enter Lurgan.
The cases were adjourned to February 27.
