'˜Threatened to mutilate neighbours' - court told

Ryan Stewart (19), of Wilson Avenue, is alleged to have made the threats, which also included a claim he would cut the people’s throats, to a call handler in the early hours of Friday October 21, Ballymena Magistrates Court was told.

A police officer told the court that Stewart told the call handler he didn’t know what he was capable of and said he was going to carry out the threats to the neighbours due to a “noise disturbance”.

The officer said: “He said he was going to cut their throats and get a knife and cut pieces of their face off”.

Defence barrister Michael Smith said Stewart was “very intoxicated” and the incidents happened as a party was ongoing “a couple of doors down” at 3-4am which was keeping him awake.

Mr Smith said the neighbours were not people he had an ongoing grudge with and he regularly spoke to them in the street when he met them.

The barrister claimed on this occasion Stewart was “frustrated” and “vented” to the call handler.

Stewart, who appeared at the court via video link from Maghaberry Prison, was released on his own bail of £500 along with a surety for a similar amount to live at a hostel in Portstewart.

He is banned from entering Ballymena and from contacting people associated with the case and is banned from taking alcohol.

Stewart is charged with making threats to kill and sending a message ‘that was grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character, namely stating (he) would stab your neighbours, cut their throats and cut the residents face off’.