A 50-year-old man attacked his next-door neighbour’s home during what is being treated as a hate crime, forcing a woman and her son to escape out of a first-floor window out of fear causing her pelvic injuries.

Sean Small, of St. Patrick’s Terrace, Omagh is charged with common assault, possessing an offensive weapon, namely a wooden table leg, grievous bodily harm with intent, two charges of threats to kill against Mohammed Faheem and Eva Suliova, two charges of criminal damage all relating to an incident on Saturday, February 1 in St. Patrick’s Terrace.

Small is further charged with harassment dating from September 17, 2019 to February 1, 2020.

Appearing in the dock in Enniskillen, Small nodded to say he understood the charges against him while an officer told the court he could connect the accused to the charges.

The court was told that on Saturday, February 1, police received a 999 call at 10.26pm from Mr. Faheem making a report that his next-door neighbour was trying to kick his door in. He was at work in a nearby takeaway and had received a call from his wife, Eva Suliova, who was in the house with their son.

Ms. Suliova had called her husband telling him the defendant was outside the property banging and shouting with what appeared to be a baseball bat but was later clarified to be a wooden table leg.

Mr. Faheem left his work and went back to his house where he saw Small outside his front door before returning to his own house.

Mr. Faheem went and knocked on his door to let his wife know he was back and while at the door, Small came back outside with the table leg and swung it at Mr. Faheem who took cover behind some bins, the court heard.

Small made threats to kill and some of Mr. Faheem’s family members had arrived at this stage with Mr. Faheem telling them to call the police while Small continued to try and get past the bins.

Small returned to his own house when he saw family members on the phone to police.

Police arrived and Mr. Faheem found his wife at the rear of the property injured having jumped from a first-floor window with their son.

Mr. Faheem told police this had been ongoing for three months and said Small had told him to go back to his own country in relation to Mr. Faheem being of Pakistani origin.

Ms. Suliova told police she had been in an upstairs room with her son watching a movie on a mobile when she heard a bang and saw the table leg being swung.

She said she got scared and phoned her husband and became so terrified she went out through a first-floor window on to a plastic lean to which gave way.

The court also heard this was the second incident which had taken place between Small and the injured parties, the first-time taking place in September 2019 with Small allegedly telling them: "I don’t like Pakis, I don’t like Slovakians. I’m Irish. I’m a strong boy, I can do whatever I want.”

Refusing bail for Small, Deputy District Judge Anne Marshall said she had listened to the circumstances and said there was a Prima Facie case to answer.

Deputy Judge Marshall said the incident was very, very serious and the offences that were alleged to have occurred were very serious.

She said Small, who has 41 previous convictions including common assault, possessing an offensive weapon, inflicting grievous bodily harm, may commit further offences and she was not satisfied he would keep to his bail conditions.

Small was remanded in custody to appear via video link at Omagh Magistrates Court on February 25.