Two men appeared in court in Derry charged with offences alleged to have occurred on St. Patrick's Day. John Paul Harkin, 46, of Faustina Terrace faces an attempted burglary charge after a woman reported a man at her front door asking for someone who did not live there.

She blocked the door with her foot. The man then went to the back, climbed the fence and tried a locked back door, the court heard. The woman contacted a friend who found muddy footprints at her own door.

Harkin has 176 prior convictions. His most recent charge came in August 2021, after which he served four years in prison in the Republic of Ireland. He also faces robbery charges at Crown Court.

Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley stated that Harkin sought a party while drunk and that the man he asked for lives on the same street. Bail was granted with conditions barring him from the area and contact with the complainant. He returns to court on April 4.

In a separate case, David Ross, 47, of no fixed abode faces two harassment charges and two counts of behaviour causing fear or alarm, all dated March 17. Defence counsel Stephen Chapman noted Ross lacks an address and seeks quick resolution.

Ross was remanded in custody for a March 26 court date.