David Coleman sentenced over Ballymena knife and hatchet assault

A person has been sentenced to 11 years for a “sustained, brutal attack” on a person who used to be stabbed within the chest, slashed at the face, hit with a hatchet and dumped in a box in County Antrim.

The sufferer, who used to be discovered through binmen out of doors Broughshane in October 2021, suffered everlasting and life-changing accidents together with a mind damage.

David Coleman, 39, whose deal with used to be given as HMP Maghaberry, pleaded to blame to kidnapping and grievous physically hurt and used to be sentenced at Belfast Crown Court on Thursday.

He will serve part of his 11-year time period in jail and part on licence.

Four different males concerned within the assault had been jailed remaining yr.

Police stated during the “nightmarish attack”, the sufferer used to be kicked and regularly compelled to wipe up his personal blood as his attackers laughed.

The courtroom used to be informed the sufferer used to be requested to bag cocaine at Coleman’s Ballymena flat sooner than he used to be accused of stealing consumers.

He used to be time and again punched within the face through Coleman who then took a big knife and stabbed him within the chest sooner than striking it in his mouth.

Mr Coleman, who used to be giggling during, slashed the blade around the sufferer’s face.

He then known as anyone and requested “where do I get rid of somebody?”

The sufferer used to be later bundled into the again of a automotive through different males and dumped in a box at the Lisnamurrican Road close to Broughshane.

It used to be there that he used to be assaulted with a hatchet.

During sentencing Judge Gordon Kerr KC stated the fracture to the sufferer’s cranium led to through the hatchet used to be now not led to through Coleman however stated he “used a knife in a cruel way” and that the sufferer used to be subjected to a “sustained, brutal attack”.

A Crown barrister up to now informed the courtroom Coleman inspired and directed others concerned within the kidnapping.

He additionally stated he had a “long-standing association with paramilitaries”.

At an previous listening to, Coleman’s barrister stated his consumer had already served greater than 3 years in custody and didn’t inflict the cranium fracture which led to important and everlasting harm.

Coleman used to be given a nine-year sentence with an additional two years added because of him being regarded as bad.

Judge Kerr stated Coleman’s file comprises violence together with hyperlinks to paramilitary offences and that he’s assessed as being a high-risk culprit through the Probation Board NI.

“The most significant matter is that he has a history of dealing in drugs and that this incident arose from that,” the pass judgement on stated.

“His total indifference to his victim shows a mindsight that he does and will pose a significant risk of causing serious harm.”

Police described the assault as “barbaric and depraved” and stated “the level of violence inflicted is shocking”.

“The defenceless victim was viciously beaten, stabbed in the chest with a knife and sliced on both sides of his face,” Det Insp McCoy stated.

“Throughout the nightmarish attack, he was kicked and continually forced to wipe up the blood. Meanwhile, the defendants laughed.”

He added: “This man, somehow, survived. His journey, however, has been traumatic and for the first number of weeks he remained in intensive care under sedation.

“Injuries incorporated a stab wound to his chest, fracture and detachment of the jaw, accidents to his face and mouth, and a fracture to the bottom of the cranium. He has in reality sustained an everlasting mind damage.

“Today, with the support of colleagues in the Public Prosecution Service, David Coleman has been held accountable for his actions.”