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DUP MP Jim Shannon charged with common assault of a woman

News imageBBC Jim Shannon, a man with grey hair and glasses, wearing a white shirt and blue tie.BBC
Jim Shannon is the Democratic Unionist Party MP for Strangford

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Jim Shannon has been charged with common assault of a woman.

It is alleged to have happened on 1 October 2023.

Shannon, 71, with an address at DUP offices on Frances Street in Newtownards, did not attend Newtownards Magistrates' Court on Monday.

Defence counsel Conan Rea outlined that he has lodged a defence statement.

The court heard that the Public Prosecution Service will be applying to amend dates on paperwork which they had lodged.

Rea said that the defence will be objecting to that.

He told deputy district judge Trevor Browne that the defence have lodged a skeleton argument detailing their objections.

With prosecuting counsel set to reply to the submissions, the judge adjourned the case to 1 September.

The DUP politician was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 1998, before being re-elected in 2003 and 2007.

In 2010, he entered the House of Commons as an MP for Strangford, a position which he still holds.