A 44-year-old Derry man was remanded in custody when he appeared at the city’s Magistrates Court this morning charged with the attempted murder of a 43-year-old man in the city at the weekend.
John Paul O’Rourke, of Canterbury Park, is charged with attempting to murder Damien Rankin at Summer Meadows Park in the Waterside area in the early hours of yesterday morning.
The alleged victim is in a stable condition in Altnagelvin Hospital where he is receiving treatment for a stab wounds to his back.
O’Rourke is also charged with possessing a knife with intent to commit attempted murder, assaulting two women, threatening to kill a man, attempted grevious bodily harm with intent, assaulting a man and possession of a knife.
A PSNI detective told the court he believed he could connect the accused to the charges.
Outlining the case, the detective told the court the accused had been socialising with family members of the injured party, who are neighbours, on the night in question.
The court heard the injured party was angered by the fact he and a woman were left behind to get a second taxi home and when he got home he went into the house of the injured party where an argument ensued between the two men.
The court was told O’Rourke went to attack the alleged injured party with a red-handled kitchen knife which was taken off but he proceeded to kick the alleged victim as he lay on the ground.
The court heard a woman was also injured in the incident.
The detective told the court when both men went outside witnesses believed O’Rourke was punching the victim in the back and only realised he had been stabbed him when they saw blood.
The court heard a knife, similar to the one that was taken off O’Rourke, earlier was found at the scene.
O’Rourke was remanded in custody to appear at Derry Magistrates Court on 14 next August via video link.