High Court judge gives grants woman man bail over murder of Derry pensioner
Mr Justice Scoffield warned Rhona Gracey that she was on a final chance as she was released on bail again.
Gracey, 34, is accused of killing Daniel Guyler.
A second woman, 45-year-old Sharon Harland, is also charged with his murder.
The 75-year-old victim was found with serious injuries in Derry’s Termon Street on July 23, 2018.
The pensioner never regained consciousness.
He subsquently died in hospital on May 1, 2019.
Gracey, of Chobham Street in Belfast, and Harland, from Baltimore House in Derry, were charged following an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
Mr Guyler sustained a head injury, with medical examinations concluding that he had either fallen repeatedly from a height or been attacked, previous court hearings had been told.
The victim was also robbed of his wallet containing £400, according to the prosecution.
Although no-one saw any assault, witnesses claimed the two defendants were with him shortly before the incident.
At the time both women were said to have lived in hostel accommodation and drank in the area of the alleged attack.
Blood from the deceased was allegedly found on Gracey’s clothing and Harland’s shoes.
During police interviews the defendants either made no comment or said they could not remember the incident.
Gracey had been returned to custody last month for an alleged assault on a police officer carrying out bail checks.
Prosecution counsel Iryna Kennedy claimed on Friday she became aggressive and kicked out when the constable attended the property.
Opposing her re-release, the barrister contended: “She has a grave propensity to violence.”
Defence lawyer Tom McCreanor argued that his client’s personal circumstances have improved in the last three years.
“She was not in the best of company in 2018,” he told the court.
Following submissions from the prosecution and defence, Mr Justice Scoffield decided: “I will give her one further opportunity to prove herself.”
Ordering Gracey to abide by a curfew and alcohol ban, the judge told her: “I cannot emphasise enough that the application has been successful by the skin of your teeth.
“If there’s any established breach of bail you can expect to find yourself back in prison.”
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