Heavily bruised about the face and body, the woman was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital for treatment
The incident happened in the Fitzroy Avenue area(Image: Google Streetview)
A man and woman accused of punching and kicking another woman until she lost consciousness at a flat in south Belfast are to be released from custody, a judge ruled on Thursday.
Cian Quinn and Elizabeth Sterrett face prosecution over a suspected attack between love rivals which left the victim with a fractured eye socket. They were granted bail after police confirmed the injured party had declined to provide a further statement of evidence.
Quinn and Sterrett, both aged 28, are jointly charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent. They allegedly attacked the woman at an apartment in the Fitzroy Avenue area on February 15 this year.
Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard police were alerted after she attended a nearby hostel covered in blood and with severe facial injuries. The woman claimed Sterrett, of New Lodge Road in the city, knocked her to the ground during a row while they were in the flat with two men.
One of the men then allegedly joined in punching and kicking her to the face, head and body until she lost consciousness.
Heavily bruised about the face and body, the woman was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital for treatment.
She sustained three fractures to her left eye, a shoulder injury, and could not open either eye, the court heard.
Quinn, an Irish national with an address at Southview Street in Belfast, was detained after the victim named “Cian” as the alleged male assailant.
During interviews he accepted being in the apartment but denied any involvement when a fight broke out between the two women.
Quinn told police that he suspected they had clashed over him being “intimate” with both of them. They were each said to have sought a romantic relationship with him.
Proceedings were previously adjourned after Quinn’s solicitor, Paul Dougan, disputed the evidence against him being limited to the victim giving a first name.
In court today, police confirmed that no further statement has been provided.
Mr Dougan responded that it appeared the initial outline of the alleged circumstances was either wrong or had “over-egged the pudding”.
Granting bail to both accused, District Judge Natasha Fitzsimons stated: “I have real concerns about the evidence currently (against) Mr Quinn.”
She ordered the defendants to live at approved addresses, imposed alcohol bans and barred them from entering the Holyland area of south Belfast.
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