A 30-year-old man has been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with threatening a woman and her sons in Strabane.

Caelan Harkin, of no fixed abode, appeared via videolink from Strabane custody suite at Dungannon Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Representing himself, he declined to respond when asked if he understood the charges.

The court heard that on 9 June, police were called to a property in Evish Square, Strabane, after a woman reported that Harkin had entered her home and was behaving aggressively. The complainant said she had let him in before he began shouting and threatening to have her and her children shot.

When officers arrived, they forced entry and Harkin fled through the back door. He was later arrested and, while intoxicated, became aggressive and kicked and kneed the officers. Earlier the same day, police had been called to another address to remove him from a property, where he was verbally abusive towards them.

Police objected to bail, highlighting Harkin’s criminal record of 38 previous convictions, 127 relevant incidents, and a high risk of reoffending. The court was told he had no suitable bail address, and his most recent conviction in December resulted in a five-month custodial sentence.

District Judge Francis Rafferty refused bail and remanded Harkin in custody. He is due to appear before Strabane Magistrates Court via videolink on 2 July. The judge advised him to instruct a solicitor.