Man charged in relation to 'anti-immigration disorder' in Larne has bail varied to 'DJ' at Twelfth event
A man facing charges linked to ‘anti-immigration disorder’ in Larne last summer when '£1 million' damage was caused in an arson attack at the town's leisure centre, has had his bail varied to allow him to DJ at an event as part of the Twelfth celebrations.
The 33-year-old is charged with publishing information on June 11 last year on Facebook 'capable of encouraging or assisting the commission of one or more of a number of offences, namely riotous behaviour, criminal damage, intimidation or affray, believing that one or more of those offences would be committed, but having no belief as to which, and believing that your act will encourage or assist the commission of one or more of them'.
In relation to June 13, Nathan Gilbert Clifford of Drumahoe Gardens, Larne, is charged with sending by means of a communications network 'a message or other matter that was of a menacing character'.
He is also charged with possession of cannabis on June 14.
At court on Thursday, July 9 the accused was seeking to amend his bail by having an electronic monitoring tag removed and a relaxation of a night time curfew.
The defendant wanted to stay out until 2am but a police officer said they were against 2am but agreeable to allow him to stay out until midnight.
Said the officer: "Mr Clifford is due to DJ at a community event in relation to the Twelfth celebrations. They have asked for 2am but police believe 12am would be sufficient given the large crowds and possible alcohol intake, crowd mentality".
She added: "Given the noise restriction level if the music was to go on to 11 that would give him sufficient time to pack up and get home for 12".
A defence barrister said the "DJ event" was at a "local community hall".
He said there had been "significant delay" in the ongoing case and the tag was "onerous".
The defendant also wanted the tag removed entirely going forward and if it was to stay he wanted the range to be extended to cover his back garden "during the summer months". The police officer had no objections to the garden extension.
District Judge Nigel Broderick agreed to vary the curfew to midnight in relation to The Twelfth event which he said was a "proportionate response" and also agreed to extend the range of the tag to the back garden.
He refused the overall removal of the tag.
The court was told the case file is due to be submitted by police to the Public Prosecution Service before the end of July.
The case was adjourned to July 30.
At an earlier court a police officer said the defendant faces "serious" charges "linked to the anti-immigration disorder in June 2025 and the arson of the Larne Leisure Centre on the 11th of June 11, 2025, which cost over a million pounds worth of damage".
"Nathan Clifford was one of the administrators of the Larne Anti-Immigration Facebook Page which was used to identify locations around Larne where ethnic minorities were living and to advertise the protest at the Leisure Centre on the 11th of June.
"CCTV footage from Larne town later on the 11th of June shows Nathan Clifford driving one of the arson suspects around the town," said the officer.