Woman in court accused of stabbing Coleraine neighbour

A Coleraine woman has appeared in court accused of stabbing her neighbour.

Sporting a heavy black right eye and noticeable facial bruising, 32-year-old Ashley Blair was charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, stealing £140 from the alleged victim and slashing car tyres belonging to a woman, all alleged to have been committed on 18 April.

Appearing at Ballymena Magistrates' Court on Thursday by video link from police custody, Blair spoke only to confirm she understood the charges against her, while DC Hamilton gave evidence he believed he could connect her to each of the charges.

During a contested bail application, he outlined how a woman who lived close to Blair alerted police to the defendant “trying to kick her door in” and then slashing her car tyres at about 8am.

“At the time police couldn’t respond due to attending other matters,” he told the court but later that day, Blair’s neighbour at Westbourne Crescent “told police that he had been stabbed in the chest" by Blair.

DC Hamilton said while the alleged victim was still in hospital and under medication he was as yet unable to provide a formal statement. The officer said he had sustained a collapsed lung as a result of the incident.

Arrested and interviewed, Blair claimed “there had been an altercation” with the complainant and expanding on that, defence solicitor Jack McCann said that according to the defendant, she and the complainant had been drinking in his flat when she left and went to her own home.

There was a “banging at her door” and when she opened it, was allegedly confronted by the complainant who had a knife.

“She grappled with him, concerned that there was a man with a knife and he head butted her in the face, knocking her to the ground,”said Mr McCann, adding that in her own words, the complainant had “sunk the head into her,” hence her significant facial bruising.

“She says that while he was on top of her, she was kicking at him, trying to get away and that has caused an injury to herself with the knife with the knife that he was holding,” said the solicitor.

According to Blair, her neighbour left “and she simply crumpled to the floor” which was where the police found her.

Pointing out the “spontaneity” of the offence, DC Hamilton said he was objecting to bail due to fears that Blair would commit further offences or interfere with witnesses.

Mr McCann told the court Blair accepts she won’t be able to go back to her own home given the proximity to the alleged victim but submitted that other conditions could be put in place to allow her to be freed.

District Judge Jonathan Connolly freed Blair on her own bail of £250 but ordered that she will not be released until she has an alternative address.

He also imposed conditions to have no contact with the complainant, observe a curfew and not to be under the influence of alcohol in public.

DJ Connolly told Blair she could “go with the police to get property [from the flat] but not to attend on her own".

The case was adjourned to 24 April.

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