A Newry man who assaulted and dragged his partner across the room has been handed a suspended prison sentence.
Ryan McCambly (29), of Kenard Villas – who was already serving a suspended prison sentence – appeared before Newry Crown Court on Wednesday for sentencing on charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assault on police, resisting police, and criminal damage.
His Honour Judge Paul Ramsey KC outlined that the offences arose from an incident on April 16, 2024, when police responded to reports of a domestic assault.
Officers found the injured party in what the judge described as an “extremely distressed state”, with visible blood, bruises, and cuts to her face and leg. Photographs of the injuries were taken and later reviewed by the court.
Judge Ramsey noted that while the injuries were “relatively minor”, the photographs were “pretty graphic”. The victim had not engaged with the prosecution and no medical report was provided by the prosecution.
When officers arrived at the scene, McCambly fled on foot but was detained nearby. During his arrest, he became aggressive, resisted police and assaulted one officer causing scrapes to the officer’s arms.
Due to his level of intoxication and a cut to his foot, McCambly was taken to Craigavon Area Hospital, where he refused treatment. While in the police van, he smeared blood on the vehicle’s walls and spat repeatedly, resulting in the van needing to be deep cleaned.
In interview, McCambly denied the assault, claiming the complainant had injured herself, though he admitted he “may have caused” the scrape on the officer’s arm.
The court heard that McCambly had a “number of previous convictions” for a range of offences, including assault and assaulting police, and that he had been in breach of a suspended sentence at the time.
Judge Ramsey observed that the victim had since reconciled with the defendant and continued to support him — something he described as “a quite unique and, in my view, unusual feature” of the case.
He added that McCambly had been assessed as having a high likelihood of reoffending, though he was not deemed a risk of serious harm to the public.
Judge Ramsey told the defendant: “This court has no tolerance for any violence against women or aggression and violence towards the police, but I have to look at each case in relation to the facts.”
McCambly was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment for the assault, six months for assaulting police, three months for resisting police, and nine months for criminal damage.
All sentences will run concurrently and have been suspended for two years.
