Two men from Ballymena area appear in court charged with rioting

​Two Co Antrim men appeared in court today charged with riot.

The first alleged rioter to be called into the dock of Coleraine Magistrates Court on Monday was 23-year-old Bobby Rainey, a loyalist bandsman from Camberwell Way in Ballymena.

Standing handcuffed in the dock, he was charged with riot on June 10 this year and giving evidence, a detective constable said he believed he could connect Rainey to the charge.

Although defence solicitor Andrew Kinney did not apply for bail, he suggested to the officer that having seen an image of himself in a media appeal by the police, the 23-year-old had handed himself in.

The investigator also confirmed that during police interviews, Rainey admitted he was in the area but maintained he had not thrown anything and that none of his actions “could be construed as encouraging or taking part” in the rioting.

Mr Kinney said although there was no application for bail on Monday, he would be lodging one this Thursday so District Judge Peter King remanded Rainey into custody until June 19.

Later 40-year-old Martin bruin Gamble, c/o HMP Maghaberry, was called into the dock where he was charged with multiple offences, all alleged to have been committed on June 9.

Facing five charges, Gamble was charged with two counts of riot, one under common law and one under pubic order legislation, theft of a police officer’s handcuffs, resisting and obstructing the police.

Similar to Rainey, the detective constable said he believed he could connect Gamble to each of the charges and as defence counsel Grant Powles confirmed he was not applying for bail, Judge King remanded Gamble into custody to appear again on July 10.