‘Love rat’ kicked his baby’s mother in stomach after she discovered texts from rival, court told

A MAN described as a “love rat” attacked the teenage mother of his newborn baby after she discovered text messages from another woman, a court heard yesterday.

Anthony Kearns (21) is accused of kicking the 16-year-old in the stomach and banging her head off a wall at his Arundel Walk home in Belfast.

Police also said she had to go to hospital because stitches from giving birth three days earlier had reopened.

Kearns denies assault occasioning actual bodily harm over the incident on July 12.

Belfast Magistrates Court heard the girl arrived at his home carrying their child in a car seat and found him asleep upstairs.

She claims she answered Kearns’ phone when it rang, saw the messages and began slapping his face to wake him amid suspicions he was being unfaithful.

He allegedly responded by kicking her in the stomach, causing her to fall back against bedroom furniture, and spitting in her face as she lay on the floor.

According to her account, he also banged her head against a wall before she grabbed the baby and ran for help.

As a crowd gathered outside the property he threw a hose reel and roll of fake grass at the teenage mother, it was claimed.

Kearns is also accused of telling her: “Watch your mother’s house tonight.” He faces further charges of disorderly behaviour, threats to damage property and assault on police.

Kearns claims the girl tripped and fell as he tried to push her back after she launched an attack while he slept.

Seeking bail, defence solicitor Paddy Hunt argued that she was unhappy at discovering his client was in a new relationship following their break-up.

“This poor girl has gone through childbirth and then came to his house yesterday and made her way up to his bedroom,” the lawyer said.

“He was asleep and she woke him up by beating him up.”

Mr Hunt stressed no alleged assault occurred while she was carrying their child.

District Judge Harry McKibbin was also told the alleged victim called him names during the incident, putting the phone to his ear while another woman was screaming at the other end of the line.

Mr McKibbin said: “The fact he is what would be described as a love rat is neither here nor there in relation to this particular issue at this point in time.”

Granting bail to an address approved by police, the judge said he was giving Kearns “the benefit of the doubt” over claims that the complainant initiated the incident.

He banned the accused from contacting the girl and ordered him to report to the PSNI daily.