‘complete disregard’ | 

Strongman competitor accused of assaulting woman and child (1) while on bail

Hailing from Loughbrickland and standing at just under 7ft, O’Hagan won the 2020 World’s Strongest Viking competition in Fefor, Norway.

Yesterday at 17:52

One of the world’s strongest men has been remanded into custody accused assaulting a woman and her child.

Appearing at Craigavon Magistrates Court by videolink from police custody on Friday, 33-year-old Sean O’Hagan was charged with four offences arising from an incident on August 28.

O’Hagan, from Old Court Manor in Craigavon, is accused of assaulting the woman, causing actual bodily harm to her child, child cruelty and sending a message which was menacing, obscene or grossly offensive.

Giving evidence to the court, Detective Constable Mewha said she believed she could connect O’Hagan to each of the charges and also that police were objecting to bail due to the risk of further offences being committed, highlighting that the defendant was on bail when he allegedly committed these fresh offences.

O’Hagan had been on bail since June 13 on a number of charges including possessing a knife, assault, dangerous driving, harassment and criminal damage.

She said it was the police case that O’Hagan pushed the alleged victim while she was holding her one-year-old son and they fell over, causing injuries, but the details of the message allegedly sent by O’Hagan were not disclosed to the court.

DC Mewha said O’Hagan has “shown a complete disregard” for his earlier bail conditions and defence Seamus Lannon conceded “it’s a big ask” for him to be granted bail again.

“He has suffered from significant mental health difficulties recently,” said the barrister, submitting that if freed “he would seize that opportunity with both hands”.

District Judge Bernie Kelly told O’Hagan that by breaching bail “he is effectively putting two fingers up to the court… so there is absolutely no way I can consider him to be an appropriate candidate for bail.”

Remanding O’Hagan into custody, she adjourned his Newry case to September 21 and the latest charges to September 29.

Hailing from Loughbrickland and standing at just under 7ft, O’Hagan won the 2020 World’s Strongest Viking competition in Fefor, Norway.