A man was chased and attacked with a machete in West Belfast as part of a dispute over getting to see a child, a court heard today.
Martin Ward allegedly took the blade and inflicted wounds on the victim when a teenage accomplice had refused to "cut him to bits".
Ward, 46, of Glasvey Close in the Dunmurry area, is charged with attempted murder over the incident in the middle of a roundabout on Monday afternoon.
He also faces a further count of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place. The defendant was arrested after police were called to the scene on the Stewartstown Road.
Belfast Magistrates' Court heard Ward's daughter and the injured party's son have a child together.
Police said a dispute had developed between them over contact with the child.
Opposing bail, an officer alleged the victim was punched after being followed in his vehicle to the Michael Ferguson roundabout.
It was claimed that Ward then told a 17-year-old youth with him to "get the machete from the car and cut him to bits".
When his instructions were ignored the defendant allegedly retrieved the blade himself and chased the other man.
He swung it at him up to three times, striking him on the head and the back, the court was told.
Ward's solicitor, Adrian Harvey, confirmed his client had admitted pursuing the victim with the weapon, but never intended to kill him. "When he hit him with the weapon he saw the blood and stopped," Mr Harvey said. "He also apologised profusely during police interviews."
District Judge Fiona Bagnall refused bail, however, due to the risk of further offences. Expressing concerns about the alleged attack carried out in broad daylight, she remanded Ward in custody to appear in court again next month.
Meanwhile, a 17-year-old male also detained in connection with the incident has been released on bail pending further police enquiries.
