Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
‘ATTACK AND ROBBERY AT ZOO FILMED BY ACCUSED’
Court told victim’s nose broken and £130 taken
A MAN allegedly carried out a violent attack at Belfast Zoo before filming the bloodcovered victim, a court heard yesterday.
Piaras Heatley is accused of breaking the other man’s nose and stealing his wallet containing £130.
The 22-year-old defendant is charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm, theft, criminal damage and threats to kill. Heatley also faces counts of intimidating a witness amid claims he approached the victim on a bus in a bid to get him to drop the complaint.
Bail was refused as he appeared before Belfast Magistrates’ Court for the first time.
A judge was told the injured party knew Heatley, of Collinward Avenue in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, and had agreed to a meeting on May 19 last year.
He claimed when they met the accused knocked him to the ground and then continued to punch him about the face.
A police officer said: “The victim recalls Heatley took pictures or videos on a phone.”
It was alleged before the defendant left he warned the man would be stabbed if he went to the police. Passers-by took him to hospital, where it was confirmed he had sustained nasal fractures.
Defence solicitor Pearse Macdermott confirmed Heatley denies all the allegations against him.
Refusing bail, District Judge Nigel Broderick cited the risk of witness interference.
He remanded Heatley in custody to appear again by video-link on June 11.