A 33-YEAR-OLD man claimed that he kicked and punched the door of a house in Augher because the occupant had told his girlfriend he was cheating on her, Fermanagh Magistrates Court has heard.

Ryan William Rowland Coulter, of Castlehill Gardens, Augher, was charged with damaging the door belonging to the injured party on July 28 last year.

Despite making admissions during a police interview the defendant decided to contest the charge, but was subsequently convicted after a hearing last month. The case had been adjourned until Monday to allow for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

The court heard that police received a report from the injured party, who lived at Riverview, Augher, that his front door had been damaged by the defendant, who was known to him.

The injured party said he had not been in the house at the time, but the incident had been witnessed by his sister.

A mobile phone was seized by police from the front garden. This was traced back to the defendant.

Officers went to Coulter’s address, but he was not there. However, he attended Dungannon police station at a later date and admitted going round to the house and kicking and punching the door “several times”.

The defendant claimed that he was angered with the injured party, alleging that he had told his girlfriend he was cheating on her. Coulter added that he thought he saw the injured party in the address at the time.

He also confirmed that the mobile phone was his, the court heard.

After hearing the outline of the facts, district judge Nigel Broderick asked why the defendant had contested the charge.

He enquired: “Was he hoping it would go away?”

The judge observed that, by doing so, Coulter had lost all credit and the sentence would be harsher.

Defending counsel, Stephen Fitzpatrick, told the court that his client now accepted his conviction and had been in contact with the injured party to repair the door.

In mitigation, the barrister said that the defendant had a “limited record” with nothing pending and had completed a previous community service order in “very short course”.

Passing sentence, district judge Mr Broderick observed that it was a “classic case” of wasting court time.

The judge said that Coulter had made admissions during the police interview, and he was “not sure” of the reasons for contesting the charge.

Mr Broderick said the defendant had lost all credit and imposed a community service order for the maximum period of 240 hours.

He also imposed compensation in the sum of £170, adding that he understood the defendant would be able to repair the damaged door panel himself.