Ballymena: Two men accused of rioting are remanded in custody

Called separately into the dock of Coleraine Magistrates Court, 26-year-old Ricky Rae and Philip Bradley Douglas (27), were both charged with rioting on June 10 this year.

Douglas, from Waveney Mews in Ballymena, was further charged with burglary of a property on Clonavon Terrace “with intent to do unlawful damage to the building or anything therein”.

Giving evidence to the court, a police constable said she believed she could connect both men to the charges against them.

The charges arise following significant public disorder in the town when police came under sustained attack by crowds throwing missiles and petrol bombs.

During a week of what police deemed as “racist thuggery” which erupted after two Romanian teenagers appeared in court charged with attempted rape, more than 60 police officers were injured.

In court on Monday, defence counsel Grant Powles confirmed that neither Douglas nor Rae, from Laurel Park in Ahoghill, were applying for bail.

He told District Judge Peter King that was in circumstances where Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan is set to hear bail applications for a number of other alleged rioters later this week.

Having heard that senior police and PPS lawyers are set to have a meeting to discuss how the various riot cases will proceed, Northern Ireland’s top judge has indicated that ideally, she would want the cases dealt with “within weeks, not months”.

Remanding Rae and Douglas into custody, Judge King adjourned their cases until July 10.