Man appears in court following knife incident in Ballymena
A man has been remanded in custody charged in connection with an incident in Ballymena when police were allegedly threatened with a knife and allegedly had items including plates thrown at them from a window.
Andrew Bain (26), of North Street in Ballymena, appeared in handcuffs in the dock at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, on Tuesday (February 4).
He is charged with possessing an offensive weapon - a knife - with intent to commit grievous bodily harm; assaults on four police officers; criminal damage to a house window and attempted criminal damage to two police vehicles. The charges relate to January 31 this year.
No details regarding the background to the case were given to the court where the defendant did not apply for bail. He was remanded in custody and the case was adjourned to Thursday, February 27.
However, in a press release following the incident, police said that they had responded to a report of a "concern for safety" in the North Street area, in the early hours of Friday January 31, and arrested a man.
Chief Inspector Boyd said: “When police arrived at the scene and were dealing with the incident, officers were threatened by a male with a knife and had a number of items thrown at them from a window, including plates.
“One officer was struck on the back of the neck with a glass bottle thrown from height.
“The male was subsequently arrested for assault on police, criminal damage and possession of an offensive weapon with intent to commit an indictable offence. He remains in custody.
“This incident highlights the risks our officers face every day when doing their jobs. Our officers are here to help, and to respond to calls to assist those who need that help. Assaults on police are unacceptable and must not be tolerated.
“Thankfully, all officers involved were fit to remain on duty, but our ask is that officers and the work they do should not be taken for granted.”