Burglar who stabbed man with broken vodka bottle to face trial over ‘on the run’ case

Belfast man Emmanuel Henry was previously jailed for smashing a bottle of vodka over a man’s head and stabbing him with the broken bottle following a break-in.

Appearing at Limavady Magistrates’ Court, sitting in Coleraine, by videolink from prison, Henry (31) today confirmed he was aware of the unlawfully-at-large charge against him and did not object to the case being returned to the Crown Court.

Henry, from the Markets area of Belfast but whose address was given as c/o HMP Magilligan, faces one charge of being unlawfully at large from December 22 last year.

It is alleged that, having been sentenced to imprisonment, he was unlawfully at large from Magillian before the expiry of his sentence without lawful excuse.

It was reported at the time that Henry had been granted temporary release over the Christmas period but he was circulated as wanted when he failed to surrender himself back into custody.

He was originally jailed for four years at Belfast Crown Court in May 2017 for a burglary which was so violent that Henry reportedly suffered PTSD himself.

The court heard Henry broke into a house in south Belfast in July 2015 and when confronted by the occupant, he smashed a vodka bottle over the man’s head and stabbed him repeatedly in the arm and chest with the broken bottle.

The victim sustained several serious wounds including a laceration to his lung which narrowly missed his heart.

Despite offering the injured man help by showing him how to stem the blood with a duvet, Henry then held a knife to his throat and demanded he hand over money and his mobile phone.

During the incident, Henry also told the man, “Sorry, mate, wrong house,” and, afterwards, Henry suffered flashbacks and nightmares following the incident and was later diagnosed with elements of PTSD.

He was assessed as a dangerous offender at the time and in court today defence solicitor Chris McCann revealed that Henry is due before the Parole Commissioners next week as he applies to be released on licence.

A prosecuting lawyer submitted there was a case for Henry to answer, a submission which Mr McCann conceded.

Returning the case to Antrim Crown Court, District Judge Peter King scheduled the arraignment to be heard on December 14 and, given Henry’s application for release on licence, he granted £750 bail.