Man accused of breaking McDonald's customer's jaw ‘meant to hit someone else’, court hears

Belfast High Court (PA).

Alan Erwin

June 18 2021 02:07 PM

A man accused of breaking a customer's jaw at a McDonald's restaurant claimed he intended to hit someone else, the High Court heard today.

Lucasz Wach allegedly inflicted injuries which left the other man requiring surgery to have a plate fitted.

The 28-year-old faces a charge of causing grievous bodily harm in connection with the incident at the fast-food outlet in Ballymena, Co Antrim.

During a bail application prosecution counsel Iryna Kennedy claimed Wach launched the attack on February 23 last year after verbally abusing the victim.

"The injured party was waiting for food, but this applicant took a swing and struck him on the left hand side of the face," she submitted.

"He was taken to accident and emergency and then had to have surgery to get a plate placed in his jaw, which meant he spent four nights in the Ulster Hospital."

Wach, with an address at Newington Street in Belfast, was identified on CCTV footage, the court was told.

Mrs Kennedy added: "In interviews he said that he intended to hit somebody else, but hit this injured party... he explained that it was a mistake."

The defendant also faces charges of common assault, theft and disorderly behaviour in connection with separate incidents.

It was claimed that he turned up at his ex-partner's home in June 2020, stole the woman's iPhone worth £600 and stamped on her foot.

According to the prosecution he was arrested again last year for allegedly shouting profanities in the street.

Defence barrister Aoife Macauley confirmed that Wach is due to be sentenced for some of the cases next Thursday.

"He is making a bail application for what will be a period of less than one week," she acknowledged.

But Mr Justice Shaw was told Wach had previously been at large for five months after being released to a bogus address.

Refusing bail, the judge said: "I'm concerned that the basis of trust is not present here."

Man accused of breaking McDonald's customer's jaw ‘meant to hit someone else’, court hears

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