A man allegedly broke into a Co Down family’s home armed with a knife and threatened to “chop them all up”, the High Court has heard.
Darren Murphy (31) is also accused of wielding a hammer to smash his way into the house in Rathfriland on a second occasion, cutting a child with shards of glass.
Murphy, of Forkhill Road in Newry, was arrested as he tried to flee to England on a ferry, prosecutors claimed.
He faces 19 charges in connection with the two incidents last month, including five threats to kill, two aggravated burglaries, two counts of possessing an offensive weapon, theft of a car, dangerous driving and possessing Class A and C drugs.
Crown counsel said an intruder entered the property in The Slopes area of the town on October 5 and held a knife to one of the occupant’s throat.
“He was shouting ‘I will f***ing slit your throat,” she disclosed.
The court heard Murphy is known to the family and is suspected to have been the assailant.
He allegedly left the scene with the warning: “I will be back to chop all of you up.”
Police were alerted for a second time amid claims the defendant returned to the property in a stolen Volkswagen Golf on October 25.
It was contended that he entered the house at speed while carrying a hammer.
“He smashed a window in the front door and in the living room, causing glass shards to cut the arm of a two-year-old child,” the barrister submitted.
At one stage he also allegedly told one of the victims in a phone call: “You may hope police find me before I find you.”
Murphy was subsequently arrested at Belfast Harbour.
“He was attempting to flee by embarking a ferry to England,” counsel claimed.
Murphy’s lawyer insisted it had been one of his regular trips to visit a friend in Liverpool, rather than any bid to escape.
Mr Justice O’Hara was also told that the defendant has not been properly identified as the suspected perpetrator.
“He says that he had nothing to do with the events in question,” his barrister stressed.
Murphy was refused bail, however, due to risks he could re-offend or fail to turn up for trial