Two Co Armagh brothers have entered guilty pleas to intimidating a woman from her home.
Standing side by side in the dock at Craigavon Crown Court, 34-year-old Adrian Douglas admitted intimidation while his older brother Alister Douglas (37) admitted aiding and abetting his brother in the intimidation on April 30 last year.
The Lurgan brothers also admitted a charge of attempting to cause criminal damage to a front door belonging to Danielle Skelton on the same date.
Following the pair’s admissions, prosecuting counsel Nicola Auret asked for a further charge of trying to damage Ms Skelton’s Ring doorbell to be left on the books, an application which was granted by Judge Patrick Lynch KC.
In relation to the intimidation charge the Lurgan brothers, from Carrick Drive and Charles Baron Gardens respectively, admitted that they “unlawfully caused by force, threats or menaces, or in some other way another person namely Danielle Skelton to leave a place where she was for the time being resident or in occupation.”
It is the footage recorded from the ring doorbell that has landed the two brothers in court after they were recorded shouting sectarian abuse such as “get this fenian out” and “the taigs in” as well as hammering and kicking the door.
On spotting the doorbell camera, one of them tried to prise it off the door frame and with the video posted online, the footage has been viewed thousands of times and has evoked public revulsion and condemnation from all quarters.
None of the facts were opened on Tuesday but defence barristers Conor Coulter and Patrick Taggart agreed that sentencing should be adjourned until the Probation Board have complied pre-sentence reports.
Freeing the brothers on continuing bail, Judge Lynch said he would deal with the case on March 8.