Braniff told the Judge that as he was subject to a five-year order to “stay away” from the complainant, he said “I will have no contact with her whatsoever” then added “I won’t let you down”
Stock image of Belfast’s Laganside Courts.(Image: Justin Kernoghan/Belfast Live)
A west Belfast man awaiting trial for charges including domestic abuse and assaulting his partner was granted bail today.
As part of the conditions for his release, Robert Martin Braniff has been banned from contacting the complainant either directly or indirectly.
The application to release the 41-year old, from Norglen Road, was made and granted at Belfast Crown Court and he attended via a videolink with HMP Maghaberry.
Braniff is awaiting trial on four charges he denies dating back to March 3, 2025 – namely possessing a knife with intent, assaulting a female, stealing two of her phones and engaging in a course of behaviour that was abusive to her and likely to cause her to suffer physical or psychological harm.
As his pending trial has been exempted from the current industrial action, it is listed to proceed later this month.
Prior to granting the application, Judge Laura Ievers KC was addressed by both the Crown and defence.
Defence barrister Michael Halleron said a proposed bail address in east Belfast had been secured which was a “suitable distance” from where the complainant resided.
After it emerged the PSNI had drawn up an exclusion zone encompassing a section of west Belfast that Braniff would be banned from entering, Mr Halleron said this would be adhered to apart from when his client attends at the Springfield Road GP surgery.
Crown barrister James Johnston told Judge Ievers the application to release Braniff was being opposed by police – but said the proposed address, if bail was granted, was deemed suitable.
The objections, he said, were due to concerns of “interference and further offences involving this complainant.”
Mr Johnston spoke of the “domestic situation” and “a history” between Braniff and the complainant and told Judge Ievers that Braniff has prior convictions in relation to the same female.
After Judge Ievers said she was granting Braniff bail, Mr Johnston asked that a 10pm to 8am curfew be put in place and for Braniff to be electronically tagged.
In addition to agreeing to this, Judge Ievers told Braniff that he was banned from entering the exclusion zone save for attending medical appointments which required prior police notice of attendance.
The Judge then addressed Braniff on the videolink and told him “on balance” she was admitting him to bail subject to “a number of stringent conditions.”
She told him to both adhere to the conditions and attend court for his trial and warned “if you are found to have breached any of these conditions … it is highly likely that bail will be revoked.”
Judge Ievers then read out the list of bail conditions which included Braniff having no contact directly or indirectly with the complainant.
Braniff then told the Judge that as he was subject to a five-year order to “stay away” from the complainant, he said “I will have no contact with her whatsoever” then added “I won’t let you down.”
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