Two men were today (Tuesday) sentenced for their involvement in a “nasty” assault in the centre of Belfast.
James Robert Bowers and Seamus Denny were due to stand trial on charges arising from an incident on the Dublin Road in Belfast on the evening of February 1, 2021 involving a group of men.
During the incident - which was captured on CCTV - a group of males approached a Polish man and demanded that he hand over money.
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The victim was then backed against a wall and was punched twice to the head by Denny which was followed by several blows to the body administered by Bowers.
Both Bowers, 32, and 29-year old Denny denied charges of attempted robbery and common assault and a trial was due to commence at Belfast Crown Court today.
However, after a third charge of assaulting the Polish man occasioning him actual bodily harm was put to the two defendants, they each pleaded guilty and the two initial charges were not proceeded with.
Judge Neil Rafferty QC branded the incident as “nasty” and revealed the injured man required dental work to repair damage caused to his teeth.
Denny, of no fixed abode, was handed a nine-month sentence. Due to time served on remand, he is due to be released this week. Bowers, from Holywood Road in Belfast, appeared to be what Judge Rafferty described as “uncoordinated and sweaty” in the dock and repeatedly interrupted proceedings.
He was handed a nine-month sentence, which was suspended for two years. As the Judge warned Bowers that any further offending would lead to a return to court, Bowers spoke again from the dock.
Telling the court “I’m a year off the heroin”, Bowers confirmed he understood the terms of the suspended sentence and said “I will not re-offend.”
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