A Lurgan man who punched and strangled his partner causing a cut and bruising has been jailed for nine months.
Asruis Samulis, of Union Street, appeared before Craigavon’ Magistrates’ Court on Friday via videolink from Maghaberry.
The 35-year-old was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and non-fatal strangulation or asphyxiation.
The court heard that on July 20 last year, police attended a report of a domestic incident at Union Street in Lurgan at around 2am.
When they arrived, they were flagged down by a neighbour, who had the injured party in their house.
The injured party told police her partner had punched her. She had a deep cut to her left eye and slight bruising to her throat.
The victim confirmed the defendant was still in his property and when officers gained entry, they found the defendant barricaded in the bedroom.
District Judge Francis Rafferty, assisted by a translator, said that the defendant gave an “inconsistent, selective account to the Probation Service, wherein he stated that he had no recollection, but he did remember things that were favourable to his position”.
He continued: “His claim of lapsing into unconsciousness was not borne out by the fact that he barricaded himself in the bedroom. He displayed limited victim awareness and was assessed as a high likelihood of reoffending.”
Samulis’ defence lawyer then explained that the defendant had spent just over two months on remand, conceding, “there is prevarication here”.
He added that the defendant had a very limited record in Northern Ireland, though he said there is a possibility he is known to authorities elsewhere.
“I accept with the nature of the offending, there’s only one outcome,” the defence admitted.
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