Alleged to have thrown chimney pot at police in roof stand-off

Twenty-two-year-old David Mark Cunningham, of no fixed address, is facing charges of assaulting two police officers and causing criminal damage to a roof, chimney pot and bedroom furniture.

The alleged offences were committed at his mother’s home at Riverside Drive, Cookstown, on July 22.

The accused appeared remotely at East Tyrone Magistrates Court, sitting in Dungannon, on Friday.

Refusing the bail application, District Judge John Meehan remarked it was simply not tenable to grant bail to someone who spent three hours on a roof trying to pelt police officers below.

A police officer told the court that officers arrived at the defendant’s mother’s address in Riverside Drive at 7.05pm following a report that Cunningham had damaged a wardrobe in a bedroom.

She said the defendant was not present and police left the property and returned again at 9.53pm, and were made aware that Cunningham had a domestic altercation with his girlfriend.

The officer said both matters were in breach of court orders in that the defendant observes a curfew and has no contact with his girlfriend.

Continuing, the police officer said when police arrived Cunningham climbed out of an upstairs window on to the roof and proceeded to throw items down.

She said he threw a slate which smashed close to an officer on the ground and the chimney pot.

The officer said a stand off then took place for approximately three hours while police talked to the defendant and tried to get him to come down off the roof.

She said police are opposed to bail because he has already breached bail set previously, and there was a risk of further offences being committed.

She said the defendant’s mother had also revoked his bail address.

A defence lawyer said Cunningham accepted the breach of curfew but would say that the injured party had got in contact with him.

He added that if granted bail the defendant would reside at an address which would be suitable to police.

District Judge Meehan refused the application on the grounds that there was a risk of re-offending.

He said the defendant could make another application before the High Court.

Mr Meehan adjourned the case for Cunningham to appear via video link at Dungannon Magistrates Court on August 7.