Man found guilty of assault in first jury trial since pandemic

A CO Antrim man was yesterday found guilty by a jury in the first socially-distanced trial since the pandemic started.

It deliberated for less than an hour before finding that Aaron Mclaverty committed the acts of possessing an offensive weapon and wounding a man with intent in west Belfast in July 2018.

The 31-year-old from Hollybrook Avenue, Newtownabbey, was deemed unfit to attend the trial and appeared via a videolink with his solicitor’s office.

The trial at Belfast Crown Court was conducted in a courtroom specifically adapted for social distancing.

The jury sat in the centre of court in six areas separated by glass, and each was provided with their own Bible before being sworn. All 12, some of whom wore masks, were also provided with hand sanitiser.

During the short trial the jury was shown CCTV of a violent incident that occurred inside and outside a petrol station at Finaghy Road North on July 25, 2018.

Mclaverty and a co-accused who has already been sentenced were captured on CCTV confronting a man who they then chased into the garage.

The injured party was dragged outside and attacked with a hurling stick and a fireside tool, resulting in wounds including two lacerations to his head.

When arrested Mclaverty told police that while he saw the incident, he only hit the injured party once, and denied the two charges against him.

The prosecution said this was a lie, and that Mclaverty could clearly be seen in the footage with his co-accused attacking the injured party with the weapons.

After a short deliberation the jury returned verdicts that Mclaverty had committed the two acts he was accused of.

Judge Stephen Fowler QC said as Mclaverty had been deemed not fit to attend the trial, the court will now consider the best way to deal with him “in terms of assistance, rehabilitation and protection for the public”.

The judge said reports will be compiled, the health trust will be informed, and a programme “in some form of treatment supervision” will be put in place.

Judge Fowler then ordered a number of reports be compiled on Mclaverty ahead of sentencing, which will take place on October 2.