A man and a woman have been remanded in custody charged with the murder of a man in Co Antrim.
Barry Furfey (43) died as a result of blunt force trauma to the face and head as well as multiple rib fractures, a court heard on Wednesday.
At Craigavon Magistrates Court, 37-year-old Jamie Spence and Melissa Atkinson (38) were each charged with the murder of Mr Furfey on September 15th.
He was killed during the early hours of Monday. He was taken to hospital with critical injuries after the emergency services were called to Ms Atkinson’s apartment on the Wardsborough Road in Lisburn at about 1am. He died in hospital.
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Both Ms Atkinson and Mr Spence, whose address was given as no fixed abode, confirmed they understood the charge against them while Detective Inspector Angus gave evidence that she believed she could connect each of them to the offence.
Mr Spence’s defence solicitor Una Conway confirmed there was no bail application to be lodged.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan remanded him into custody and adjourned the case to Lisburn Magistrates Court on October 13th.
Ms Atkinson’s defence counsel Patrick Taylor said while the alleged offences were committed in her home so she cannot go back there, the 38-year-old was asking for bail, “subject to an address.”
Det Insp Angus told the court that police were objecting to bail due to concerns over potential witness interference and also over concerns for Ms Atkinson’s own safety given “community tensions.”
Ms Atkinson was also remanded to appear again on October 13th.
Det Insp Angus outlined how the security guard at the apartment block where Ms Atkinson lives contacted police at 12.49pm to report “a possible drugs overdose.”
When he got into her flat, he saw the victim lying on the floor of the livingroom.
Police arrived at the scene four minutes later and an ambulance crew treated Mr Furfey at the scene for an hour before he was taken to hospital.
He was pronounced deceased at 6am.
The court heard that a pathologist had said death was due to blunt force trauma to the head, along with multiple rib fractures which “would have made it difficult to breathe.”
