Police bring in 'expert' in bid to identify suspects following arson attack on Larne Leisure Centre during disorder
Police have brought in an "expert" to examine footage in a bid to identity suspects in connection with an arson attack on Larne Leisure Centre last summer.
Details were given to Ballymena Magistrates Court on Thursday. Violence flared in Ballymena in June before spreading to other parts including Larne in subsequent days.
Paul White (25), of Fairway in Larne, is charged with arson at the Leisure Centre on June 11 last year. He is also charged with riotous behaviour and causing criminal damage at the Leisure Centre on June 11.
The defendant is further charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice. That charge is in relation to June 14 last year.
The charge is that 'with intent to pervert the course of public justice attempted to do an act which had a tendency to pervert the course of public justice, namely tried to access the email and password of the Anti-Immigration Facebook account in Larne after his co-accused was arrested'.
Nathan Gilbert Clifford (32), of Drumahoe Gardens, Larne, is charged with publishing information on June 11 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 he is charged with sending on 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 Thursday's Ballymena Magistrates' Court a police officer said they have "a lot of CCTV" and "image analysis" is taking place.
He said there was footage recorded of "what police believe is" White committing the offences" but the accused "denies being the person in the footage".
The officer said they will get an "expert" who will compare clothing seized from the defendant's home "to the clothing worn by the male in the footage".
He added that a 'crime overseas production order' has been submitted to Meta in the USA for "all the data they hold" about a "Larne Anti-immigration Protest" Facebook account.
The cases have been adjourned to April 30.