A woman allegedly kidnapped and assaulted by her ex banged on car windows and smeared blood on them “trying to get the attention of other drivers,” a court heard on Saturday.
Ballymena Magistrates Court also heard that when the complainant did manage to escape, she hid behind hedges and then sought refuge in a lorry depot as James Martin Mulholland “drove up and down the road looking for her.”
Standing in the dock of the court 52-year-old Mulholland, from the Loughbeg Road in Toomebridge, confirmed that he understood the seven charges against him including kidnap, causing actual bodily harm, assault, criminal damage, dangerous driving and breaching a restraining order, all alleged to have been committed on May 28th this year as well as a domestic abuse offence alleged to have been committed between May 15th to 18th.
Det. Const. Brown gave evidence that he believed he could connect Mulholland to each of the charges and confirmed that police were objecting to bail amid concerns that he would commit further offences or interfere with the alleged victim.
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Reading from the police summary of the case, District Judge Peter Magill told the court how police were contacted on Friday about an alleged incident on Tuesday where Mulholland and his ex ended up having an argument inside and outside The Thatch Bar.
Mulholland “promised to take her home” but she refused to get into the car and began to walk down the road but he followed her, allegedly “mounting the kerb and as soon as she got in he punched her to the face and thumped her head on the gearstick and the window.”
“He put his hand over her mouth, she feared for her life, he proceeded to rain down blows on the back of her head, punched her to the eye, he continued to scream at her, she retaliated, bit his hand, punched him twice to the face…he said ‘you’re a psycho bitch’, he took her phone from her,” said the judge.
He told the court that “all of this was going on” while Mulholland was still driving the car which was “swerving all over” the M2.
The alleged victim realised Mulholland intended to take her to his house and fearing for her life “she begged him to stop, banging on the windows to try to get attention of other drivers and covering the windows in blood.”
When Mulholland stopped outside his house and got out of the car to open the gate “she saw her chance to escape” so she jumped out of the car and ran down the rural country road.
“He shouted at her to come in and have a coffee and get cleaned up. She told him to f*** off, ran down the road and hid behind a hedge,” said Judge Magill adding that while Mulholland allegedly went looking for her “he couldn’t find her.”
The complainant found sanctuary in a nearby lorry depot “and they hid her” as Mulholland was “travelling the road looking for her” before a Good Samaritan at the depot took her to a bus station and paid for her journey home.
DC Brown told the court that Mulholland has a previous conviction for ABH against the same woman, there is a domestic violence history and police fear that “they cannot stay away from each other.”
During police interviews Mulholland claimed that “he loved her, really wants to help her and he wants to marry her.”
Conceding that “there is a prima facie case” against Mulholland, defence counsel Grant Powles argued the defendant is “entitled to the presumption of innocence” and with him living in the Antrim area and the complainant in Belfast, that restrictions could be put in place such as curfew and tagging.
He told the court that according to Mulholland, they had been driving along the motorway when she “became upset and started pulling at the steering wheel so he had to push her off.”
“There are bite marks and scratches on him and all down his arms,” said the barrister, adding that the pair “have known each other for 40 years - it’s an on/off relationship.”
Highlighting that the case could take upwards of a year to get to the Crown Court, Mr Powles argued that Mulholland “could be given one chance” at bail on the strict understanding that any breach would see him back into custody for a significant period.
Judge Magill told the barrister he had made every point possible “but it’s a hopeless application” given the fact that Mulholland is subject to a both a restraining and a probation order arising from the previous ABH.
“This man is not safe to be in the community because he will contact her so there is clearly a fear of further offences and interference,” said the judge.
Remanding Mulholland into custody he adjourned the case to June 18th.
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