A north Antrim man has admitted stabbing two brothers intending to cause them grievous bodily harm.
While Paul Raymond Hamilton entered guilty pleas to two charges of causing GBH with intent to David and Sammie McConachie, the 33-year-old denied that he tried to murder David McConachie last July 30.
A prosecution lawyer told Antrim Crown Court the plea to the lesser charge of section 18 GBH with intent at count one was not accepted by the Crown and defence KC Eoghan Devlin asked for further time to lodge a defence statement.
None of the alleged facts were opened in court but it is understood the charges relate to a knife attack near a pub in the north Antrim village where David and Samuel McConachie suffered serious slash and stab wounds.
Along with two others Hamilton, from Church View in Dervock was arrested by detectives in England and while Hamilton was charged, the other two were released.
In court on Wednesday, Mr Devlin agreed with an observation by Judge Alistair Devlin that given the pleas, the issues to be decided at the trial had been “narrowed down to intent” and that any hearing would last two to three days.
Remanding Hamilton back into custody, Judge Devlin scheduled the trial to begin on January 15 with a review of the case on September 18.