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Police claimed Richard Drennan, 41, repeatedly swung the chain at the man after telling him: “I’d love to smack you.” The victim was left with welt marks on his back following the outburst at Centenary House on Wednesday night, a judge was told. Drennan, now of no fixed abode, faces a charge of possessing an offensive weapon with intent to commit grievous bodily harm. He is further accused of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and assaulting a police officer called to the scene. Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard Drennan had been behaving erratically during his stay at the hostel, flipping over tables and being aggressive towards staff. A PSNI officer claimed the victim was targeted shortly after starting his shift. “The defendant walked past the injured party and muttered ‘I’d love to smack you’,” she said. A short time later Drennan allegedly began to shout threats as one of those in the facilities was called a “UDA b******”. “The injured party was confronted by the defendant swinging a heavy-duty motorcycle chain in the air,” the officer contended. She claimed he struck the man on his back, shoulder and side before colleagues intervened to stop the assault. “There are photographs and you can clearly see the welt mark on his back,” she added. Drennan then allegedly launched an unprovoked attack on police called to the hostel, punching a constable on the chest before he was restrained. His placement at Centenary House has since been withdrawn. Defence barrister Michael Boyd confirmed Drennan made some admissions to the alleged offences. “His mental health has clearly taken a nosedive in the last number of months,” counsel said. “He had been bullied by a couple of specific residents and things just went from bad to worse and by his own admission appears to have completely lost his self-control on this occasion.” Refusing bail due to the risk of re-offending, District Judge Amanda Brady remanded Drennan in custody until November 14.
