• Ryan McNab, 31-year-old father from Bangor, passed away on Friday evening.
• Mark Doak, 24, was arrested and charged with his murder.
• Doak claims that he choked Mr. McNab during what he claimed was an act of self-defense.

A  man has been brought before the court and charged with the crime of murder, following the passing of Ryan McNab in Newtownabbey on Friday evening.

Mr. McNab, a father from Bangor who was 31 years old, passed away following an assault that took place at a flat in Barna Square, Rathcoole.

Mark Doak, 24 years old and a resident of Barna Square, was arrested and charged with his murder. He is currently being held in remand custody.

The defendant admitted in court that he had choked Mr. McNab during what he claimed was an act of self-defense. The court heard this admission.

He asserted that the victim had attacked him and struck him in the head with a bottle of vodka.

According to Mr. Doak’s attorney, the passing of Mr. McNab was the result of an accident, and Mr. Doak is horrified and devastated by what took place.

The court was informed that Mr. Doak made the claim that a dispute broke out after the victim stated that he was going to the residence of a former girlfriend of the defendant in order to assault her.

The court also heard testimony that Mr. McNab and Mr. Doak had never met prior to earlier that same Friday evening, when Mr. McNab was invited to Mr. Doak’s apartment for drinks by Mr. Doak.

Mr. Doak admitted to the police during interviews that, prior to Friday evening, he had been on a “three-day drink and coke bender.”

The defendant’s attorney submitted a bail application, arguing that his client had no prior criminal history, acted in self-defense, and did not flee the scene of the incident.

The attorney expressed that the events that took place left him “completely devastated,” and he wished to convey his condolences to Mr. McNab’s family.

He claimed that his customer had used “a hold” to stop an attack and that his client had no intention of killing the victim in any way.

On the other hand, the police stated that they were going to object to Mr. Doak’s release on bail “in the strongest possible terms” because they believed he posed “a danger to the public.”

The judge did not release the defendant on bail because of “the seriousness of the case,” as she put it.

Earlier on in the proceeding, the judge cautioned those in the public gallery to maintain their silence under the threat that she would have the courtroom cleared out.

[embedpost slug=”northampton-man-dies-as-road-crossing-pole-hits-him-in-the-head/”]