Former Health Minister Robin Swann wrote a reference for a man who has received a jail term for punching and kicking a blind man, a court has heard
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District Judge Nigel Broderick heard the UUP North Antrim MLA had given the reference for the defendant without knowing the full background of what had happened.The court heard the assault happened on Wellington Street on November 25 last year. During police interviews Gilmour claimed he was acting in self-defence - a claim the judge dismissed as the incident was captured on mobile phone footage.
Mr Swann's letter emerges after a UUP election candidate faced criticism for giving a court reference for a man jailed for battering his ex-wife.
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