When a man from Lisanelly Heights in Omagh found his dog chewing on a steel bolt, he took it from the confused animal and hurled it over a fence. Unfortunately, it crashed through the side-window of a car on the other side of the fence and struck the female driver.

Brian Toye admitted causing criminal damage and assault on a female when his case came before Omagh Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

The court heard that police had been called to an incident on December 2 last year when they received a report that a piece of metal had been thrown through a car window striking the driver on the face. Police recovered an eight inch rusted bolt from the victim's car.

Michael Fahy, solicitor acting for the defendant said that it had been an unfortunate accident which occurred when Toye found his dog gnawing on the bolt. Mr Fahy said that there had been no physical damage to the injured party, but he accepted that she may have been rather shocked. He said that the defendant and the injured party knew each other and that there was no bad blood between them, and that, after the incident, the defendant paid to have her car window repaired. He said accepted that the outcome could have been more serious. The 18 year old pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

The RM Greg McCourt fined the defendant £150 for the two offences and ordered him to pay £200 compensation to the injured party.