Man accused of harassment allegedly called 40 times in one day and left underwear on doorstep

Philip Lynch (24) whose postal address was given as Creeslough Park in Belfast but who said his current address was Annie’s B&B in Derry, faced a number of charges including harassment and sexual assault on a police officer. All of the charges were said to have occurred on December 3, 4 and 5 of this year.

A police officer connected the accused to the charges and opposed bail.

He said police were contacted by the alleged victim’s mother who said her daughter had been contacted by her former partner in a number of calls and recognised his voice. The officer said on December 3 the alleged victim received more than 40 calls and then Lynch allegedly turned up on her door and spent 20 minutes banging and demanding to be let in. When he left, it is alleged, he left items including the condoms and underwear.

Later there were about 30 more calls, it was claimed, and in one of them he allegedly told the woman her children would be taken from her. At interview in relation to these charges Lynch made no comment.

The officer said that on December 5 police on patrol were told by members of the public that two men seemed to going to fight in Barnet Street.

Police approached and said they noticed a strong smell of cannabis and went to conduct a search.

Lynch was allegedly ‘obstructive’ and refused to give details and when dealing with police he allegedly became ‘volatile and irate’.

He kicked out and hit an officer in the chest several times, it is alleged.

While being arrested, the court was told, he allegedly grabbed an officer by the backside and was warned about this but grabbed the officer by the backside on two more occasions.

Bail was opposed due to the risk of further offences and that Lynch had a record of 41 offences. The officer said that all the offending had taken place within the last three years.

Defence counsel Turlough Madden told Deputy District Judge Liam McStay that he had dealt with this defendant for robbing a church in Belfast. He said Lynch was not long out of prison for that offence.

Judge McStay said he remembered the case where Lynch and a female had gone to talk to a priest about an upcoming wedding and then Lynch had returned and robbed the church. He said that given the lengths he had gone to to contact the woman he had no confidence he would not re-offend.

Bail was refused and Lynch was remanded in custody to appear again on December 30.