Four Co Armagh men have today denied carrying out a “prolonged and brutal assault” which left the alleged victim with “extensive facial fractures”.
Brothers Conor Casey, of Carrickbroad Road, Newry, and Padraig Casey, of Drumalt Road, Cullyhanna, along with Padraig’s sons, 18-year-old Conal – also of Drumalt Road – and 23-year-old Ryan, from Art Road, Crossmaglen, appeared at Newry Crown Court on Thursday charged with kidnapping, grievous bodily harm with intent, and the theft of two Stanley knives, keys and two mobile phones.
The offences, against a single complainant, are alleged to have occurred on February 17 last year.
While details were not outlined in court on Thursday, a previous sitting heard that the complainant reported to police that the three defendants and one other man he did not know subjected him to a “prolonged assault” at his home on Carnally Road in Silverbridge.
The alleged victim was repeatedly kicked and punched before he was “forcibly put into a vehicle and taken to an unknown location”, where he was beaten again and “doused with disinfectant”.
Following the report, police went to the alleged victim’s home but were initially unable to find him. It was only later, as a result of an “extensive search”, that officers located the man and took him to Daisy Hill Hospital. He was later transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital, where he was treated for fractures to his eye sockets and cheekbones, as well as other injuries.
All four defendants deny the offences.
During the brief hearing on Thursday, a defence barrister said a trial date in September “simply wouldn’t be possible” and that there was a request for cell site analysis in relation to location issues.
The barrister said the defence had “asked for the raw materials from the prosecution” as they “will have to engage our own experts”.
Prosecutor Fiona O’Kane said that, due to the “complexity of the case”, there was “no point in fixing another trial date at this stage, particularly if there’s going to be an extrapolation of phone evidence”.
As a result, His Honour Judge Paul Ramsey KC freed all four defendants on bail.
The case was relisted for review on December 1, when a date for trial will be fixed.
