Man charged with riotous assembly in Ballymena claimed he was an onlooker who 'stopped a tyre rolling towards police lines'
A man charged with riotous assembly in Ballymena claims he was only an onlooker and stopped a tyre which was being rolled toward police lines.
Bobby Rainey (23), of Camberwell Way in Ballymena, is charged in relation to Tuesday June 10.
The case was mentioned at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena on Tuesday, where the defendant appeared via video link from prison where he is on remand.
An image was released on Friday, June 13, by police regarding a person suspected of involvement in incidents in Ballymena that week. As a result of that the defendant had gone to police and when interviewed the defendant denied being involved in rioting but said he was an "onlooker".
A police officer said items directed at police in the Clonavon area included petrol bombs, masonry and other items. Roads were also "blocked by fires".
She told the court there had been "ongoing tensions between Ballymena residents and foreign national residents" and properties were damaged "with information suggesting they were targeted due to foreign nationals living at these addresses".
When the defendant had gone to the police station he had brought with him clothing which matched that seen on footage. When interviewed he said he had "followed a crowd” into the Clonavon area and observed significant police presence.
He also confirmed the clothing seized was the clothing he was wearing. The defendant stated that he was there to spectate but claimed he did not hear numerous warnings issued by police to disperse.
Police Footage
"Police footage shows the defendant remaining in the same street following a final warning to disperse before force was used. He can be observed on police footage lifting a tyre near police lines and appears to raise it in front of a police vehicle."
The officer said there had been "serious racially-aggravated public disorder" which resulted in significant damage to property and police believed that if a strong deterrent message was not sent about rioting "that this public disorder could lead to death or serious injury to members of the public, namely foreign nationals living in the Ballymena area".
A defence solicitor said the defendant had no record. He said the defendant had no face covering on and had been sitting on a window sill.
He added: "A tyre rolls out from where the rioters are and Mr Rainey goes across from where he has been sitting and stops it from going towards the police, lifts it, and puts it down flat."
The defendant "thought he was actually assisting the police rather than aggravating the situation". He said the defendant had attended the police station with the clothing in the footage of the image released to the media and his intent was to show he was co-operating with police.
The lawyer said on subsequent nights including June 11 that the defendant had gone out as a "community representative effectively to try and quell any disorder and actively took part in assisting police in trying to reduce tension".
References for the accused were handed in to court including from the Deputy Mayor of Mid & East Antrim Borough Council, Councillor Tyler Hoey and Councillor Rodney Quigley.
The defence solicitor said the defendant denies the charge and was not involved in disorder. He said the defendant had been in a bar earlier and then was an "onlooker" and had been observing the situation for around an "hour".
The defendant had, the court was told, an "interest in community matters" and the following night "he went out with his father in an effort to calm" and he did the same on the Thursday night and it "seems that their efforts were met with great success" on the Thursday.
District Judge Nigel Broderick said what had happened in Ballymena and other locations was "totally reprehensible, not acceptable, and must not be allowed to be repeated".
He told the defendant: "You were present. You have given an account that you were there on an innocent basis, just simply observing.
"But really anyone who is in the vicinity of a riot, or if a riot develops, the first thing they should do is if they are innocent and not involved is turn on their heels and walk away and remove themselves from the situation but it is quite clear that, even on your own instructions, that you chose to remain at the scene."
Bail was refused and the case was adjourned to July 10.
Judge Broderick said the sooner cases associated with the rioting which have sufficient evidence are sentenced "it sends a clear message to anyone who may be thinking about re-involving themselves in similar type behaviour" and "that might act as a deterrence to others who are of a similar mind".