Two men have been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with rioting during disorder that flared in Northern Ireland on Tuesday evening.
Details of the Charges
Dwayne Thomas Andrew Burton, 42, from Clara Street in east Belfast, was charged with riot and attempting to damage a police Land Rover in the Newtownards Road area in east Belfast. He also faces a count of assaulting a civilian detention officer while in police custody.
Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard that Burton is alleged to have thrown a shopping trolley at the Land Rover and was also observed allegedly inciting the crowd of protesters. He is then accused of jumping on top of the vehicle, punching it and attempting to open the passenger door.
Police Objections to Bail
Outlining objections to bail, a police officer told the court that during police interview Burton claimed he had drunk half a bottle of vodka and went to observe the gathering in the Newtownards Road after seeing a post on social media about it. The officer said when CCTV footage of the incident was shown to Burton, he said he accepted his involvement. The officer described the accused as “extremely volatile” while in police custody.
A solicitor for Burton said the case involved a “grotesque” set of circumstances and the only thing in his client’s credit was his acceptance of the offences. District judge Steve Keown refused bail on the grounds of risk of offending and risk posed to the public. Burton was remanded in custody to appear before the same court on July 8.
Second Defendant
Andrew Kane, 39, of Carwood Avenue in Newtownabbey, appeared separately before Belfast Magistrates’ Court facing a single riot charge. He was arrested in the Newtownabbey area on Tuesday evening. Kane made no application for bail and was remanded in custody to appear before the same court on June 16.
