A Markethill man who stole animal medication from a local veterinary surgery before later threatening a woman with a smashed bottle has been jailed for a total of eight months.
Robert Gerard McCamley (41), of Newry Street, appeared before Armagh Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, where he faced charges arising from two separate incidents in June and July this year.
A prosecution lawyer told the court that the first incident occurred just after 3pm on June 3, 2025, at Willow Veterinary Surgery in Portadown.
McCamley had entered the premises, distracted the receptionist, and “reached over and took two bottles of Loxicom — medication for dogs — which were sitting on the counter,” the prosecutor said.
He then placed the items into a carrier bag before attempting, “in a very unsophisticated way,” to return them for a refund. When the receptionist refused, McCamley placed the bottles back into his bag but did not return them to the shelf.
A short time later, CCTV captured him taking two bottles of dog shampoo from the counter and placing them in his jacket pocket.
The total value of the stolen goods was £104.98. The defendant was later arrested at his home, but the products were not recovered. He made no comment during police interview.
The second incident occurred on July 9, when police received a report the following day from a woman in Bunker Hill, Markethill.
She said that between 8pm and 10pm that evening, McCamley had entered her home through the back door, appeared delusional, and began shouting, “You’re phoning the police on me!”
The prosecution continued: “He then grabbed a bottle of VK black cherry from the kitchen bench, smashed it, and said, ‘I’m going to stab you.’ He is alleged to have held the bottle up and thrust it towards the injured party, but no contact was made.”
The woman’s boyfriend witnessed the incident and confirmed the account to police, though other witnesses later declined to give statements.
McCamley denied being present, claiming the complainant had fabricated the story.
A defence lawyer told the court that his client had a long-standing addiction to drugs which began in his early twenties, leading to a “very poor record” of theft and dishonesty offences.
“This is a man who came from a very good family but unfortunately became addicted to drugs,” he said. “He really needs in-patient rehabilitative treatment, and that’s something he knows he has to discuss with his GP when he’s released.”
The defence added that McCamley had “no memory of either incident” but accepted the court’s findings.
District Judge Anne Marshall described the bottle incident as “a terrifying experience” for the victim.
“That kind of behaviour can cause long-term psychological harm,” she said.
She sentenced McCamley to eight months in custody for the incident involving the smashed bottle, five months for common assault, and six months for the theft — the latter to run concurrently.
An offender levy of £25 was also imposed.
Judge Marshall said she would not order compensation, remarking: “I don’t want him going back out and robbing Peter to pay Paul.”
