A 44-year-old man has denied an offence of intimidating a witness.

Andrew Fenton is accused of sending a Facebook message to a woman, trying to get her child to drop an allegation of inappropriate behaviour made against an associate of his.

Prosecuting advocate Roger Kane told the court that the initial incident involving the other male had allegedly taken place at an event in Ramsey.

The male has been charged with an offence of provoking behaviour.

The child’s mother, who is a witness in that case, is then alleged to have received a Facebook message from Mr Fenton, who lives at Cronk Grianagh, Strang, on January 23.

In the message he is alleged to have tried to persuade her to get the charge dropped, and even suggested that the child ‘hit up’ his associate for some sponsorship money as a ‘way of saying sorry’.

Mr Kane said the case was borderline as to whether it should go to the Court of General Gaol Delivery for trial but he submitted that it was just about suitable for summary court.

Defence advocate Paul Rodgers agreed that the case should remain in summary court.

Mr Fenton has been fined in the past and given a suspended sentence for harassment after making false accusations against people as a self-styled paedophile hunter.

Magistrates accepted summary court jurisdiction and a pre-trial review will be held on June 9. Bail was granted in the sum of £500 with a condition not to contact the witness.