Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
MAN ACCUSED OF KNIFE ‘FRENZY’ DENIED BAIL
Court told of ‘manic’ Mother’s Day violence
A MAN charged with four counts of attempted murder during what police described as a “mad frenzy” has been refused bail.
Matthew James Kane is accused of the Mother’s Day attack in which one man had his throat slashed and another was left with a slice wound to the face.
Four people sustained serious injuries during an altercation in Saintfield, Co Down, on Sunday morning.
Newtownards Magistrates Court heard how the 46-year-old accused had been babysitting three children in his ex-partner’s home when he tried on a number of occasions to contact her on her mobile phone.
On the final call the phone was answered and the line left open.
A PSNI detective constable told the court Kane had confirmed he had listened to the sounds coming from his expartner’s phone for an hourand-a-half.
He added Kane then left the house with the children still sleeping inside and went to another property where he allegedly saw his ex-partner with another man.
The officer said: “A woman at the house told him, ‘You cannot come in here, there’s no Laura here’.
“[Kane] grabbed [her] by the head and trailed her out of the house with a Stanley knife in his hand.”
He alleged the woman’s son and another male approached Kane and a fight ensued. One of the men sustained a slash wound to his throat four inches long and two inches deep.
The officer added: “We’ve been told if it had been any deeper it would have cut his voice box and could have left him unable to speak.
“Then a neighbour came to see what was going on. He was assaulted with a golf club.
“[Kane] punched the man with a Stanley knife in his hand and the man was slashed from ear to mouth.”
It was said Kane then drove off and presented to police seven-and-a-half hours later after a visit to hospital.
The court heard the alleged injured parties had confirmed they had hit Kane with a golf club in an attempt to get him to go away. Objecting to bail in order to prevent further offending, the officer said the accused “had gone on a mad frenzy here”. Kane’s solicitor Richard Monteith said his client had answered all police questions and his actions on Mother’s Day had been made in self-defence. Judge Mark Hamill described the injuries to the four as “severe and savage knife wounds”.
He said: “I am concerned about the apparently manic level of violence and there can be no risk of a repeat. Bail is refused.”
Kane, from Central Promenade, Newcastle, Co Down, faces a series of other charges, including possession of an offensive weapon with intent.
The accused will appear at Downpatrick Magistrates Court on April 5.