Derry man in court on ‘Gothic horror weapon’ charges

A 47 year old Derry man has been remanded in custody for possessing what a judge described as a ‘Gothic horror weapon’, namely a claw hammer with nails welded onto it.
Philip Murray,of 10, Shearwater Way in Derry appeared at the local Magistrate’s Court charged with possessing the hammer and a two foot long Samurai sword.
He was also accussed of three assaults, resisting police,  and disorderly behaviour all of which were alleged to have occurred on September 3.
The court was told that police were called to the Lincoln Court area of the Waterside after reports that a man had been Tasered.
When they arrived they saw three males fighting on the ground. Murray was observed to be one of them and he had the hammer in his hand.
CS spray was used to break up the fight and a police officer said Murray raised the hammer towards police but was restrained. After he was arrested, and later told police he was only defending his home.
When police searched his house they found a collection of machete type knives and a Taser box.
Murray admitted possessing the weapons but said there had been a crowd outside his home and he was defending himself. However, a defence solicitor said he had not, unfortunately, phoned the police.
District Judge Barney McElholm said if there was a crowd of 15 or so outside his house, he would phone the police.
He refused Murray bail on the grounds that he may interfere with witnesses and cause further offences, and  remanded him in custody to appear again on September 29.