Teen spread hen manure on road ahead of Pride parade as part of 'prank'
A Co Antrim teenager spread gallons of hen manure on a road before Ballymena's first Pride parade as part "of a prank," a court has heard.
Coleraine Magistrates Court also heard that 19-year-old Isaac Adams "made full and frank admissions" to police when he was arrested.
Defence solicitor Stewart Ballentine said Mr Adams was "literally caught in the headlights of the police vehicle" when committing the offence.
Appearing handcuffed in the dock, Mr Adams, from the Lislaban Road in Cloughmills, confirmed his identity and that he understood the three charges against him, all alleged to have been committed on 28 June this year.
He was charged with causing criminal damage to Granville Drive in Ballymena, causing manure to be deposited on the road and possessing a bladed article, namely a lock knife.
According to a police statement at the time, Mr Adams was arrested in the early hours following reports of slurry being spread on the road at around 02.55am.
"The matter is being treated as a hate crime," said the police statement.
While Mr Adams was charged to court today, a 20-year-old man who was arrested in connection with the incident has been released on police bail and is due to appear in court in November.
During Mr Adams' brief court appearance, a police officer gave evidence that she believed she could connect the teenager to each of the offences.
She outlined how police on patrol happened upon a male wearing a balaclava and carrying "two empty 25 litre jugs".
"He admitted that he had been spreading the manure over the roads to disrupt the Pride parade," the officer told the court, adding that the lock knife was found in his pocket when he was searched.
The courty heard that Mr Adams "freely admitted" that he intended to disrupt that Pride parade due to be held later that day and during formal police interviews, the teenager told police "he was not the only person involved".
The farmer told police he had filled four or five, five gallon jugs with "hen litter waste" from his family farm "and described it as a prank".
Regarding issues of bail, the officer conceded the parade had now taken place and further that Mr Adams has absolutely no criminal record.
District Judge Peter King heard the clean up operation cost £788 (€921).
Under cross examination from Mr Ballentine, the officer agreed that Mr Adams "cooperated fully with the police" and also that he told them he had the knife as part of his work.
Submitting that Mr Adams "comes from good stock" in North Antrim and that the incident "is very much out of character," Mr Ballentine said that having spent the weekend in a police cell, Mr Adams "has learnt a very salutary lesson".
He argued that Mr Adams could be granted bail and Judge King agreed.
Freeing Mr Adams on his own bail of £500 and adjourning the case to 24 July, the judge imposed several conditions, including a curfew, barred Mr Adams from entering Ballymena and from contacting his co-accused.
Having heard the incident by mobile phone, he also ordered that Mr Adams can only have a phone which cannot access the internet and he has to pass on the details of any phone to the police.
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He was arrested for criminal damage and possession of a bladed article. Whilst under caution, the defendant freely admitted that he had committed the act in protest against the upcoming parade later that day. He admitted to spreading the waste manure in the town and told police he was not the only person involved. Adams admitted to wearing the balaclava to conceal his identity, and he confirmed the manure was a hen litter waste. He said he had filled four or five drums of waste from his own farm, and he described it as a prank. Isaac Adams leaves Coleraine Magistrates' Court, where he was charged in connection to an incident in which slurry was sprayed in Ballymena. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire Today's News in 90 Seconds - June 30th Police opposed bail but said that the defendant does not have any criminal record, that the event has now passed and that a co-accused, who was arrested on Saturday, has been bailed until November. Solicitor for the accused, Stewart Ballentine, told the court that Adams co-operated fully with police and made admissions. 'He indicated that he was foolish and stupid to get involved in this prank, as he describes it, but it obviously backfired on him,' Mr Ballentine said. Ms Coyle agreed that the accused showed remorse and described it as a prank. The accused is a maintenance engineer and works on the family farm and had been wearing work trousers at the time of the incident, which contained the lock knife. 'He's a man who has never been in trouble in life before,' Mr Ballentine added. 'He is in full-time employment. 'It wasn't a slurry tanker as such that was driving up the streets of Ballymena. These were some small canisters with hen manure in them. 'As far as the parade on Saturday was concerned, that was not in any way inconvenienced, and all persons who wished to attend were able to do so.' Mid and East Antrim Pride takes place in Ballymena. Photographs of the manure were handed into court. The court was told that it cost the local authority £788.39 to clean up the mess. Mr Ballentine added: 'His mother and father are concerned about this matter. They're both in the body of the court. 'I hand in a reference from his employer. He speaks highly of this young man, and also handed in references from six of his elders at his local church, who also say this is very much out of character. 'This man has never been arrested in his life before. He's had an experience of being detained in custody all over the weekend, and this is totally new to this young man, and hopefully, he will never be back. 'He comes from a very law-abiding stock, a family stock in the North Antrim area, and he's a hard-working young man, and really should have been at other, more productive things than this prank, which badly went wrong. 'He greatly assisted the police investigation, and one of the other parties has been arrested. 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RTÉ News
20 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Teen spread hen manure on road ahead of Pride parade as part of 'prank'
A Co Antrim teenager spread gallons of hen manure on a road before Ballymena's first Pride parade as part "of a prank," a court has heard. Coleraine Magistrates Court also heard that 19-year-old Isaac Adams "made full and frank admissions" to police when he was arrested. Defence solicitor Stewart Ballentine said Mr Adams was "literally caught in the headlights of the police vehicle" when committing the offence. Appearing handcuffed in the dock, Mr Adams, from the Lislaban Road in Cloughmills, confirmed his identity and that he understood the three charges against him, all alleged to have been committed on 28 June this year. He was charged with causing criminal damage to Granville Drive in Ballymena, causing manure to be deposited on the road and possessing a bladed article, namely a lock knife. According to a police statement at the time, Mr Adams was arrested in the early hours following reports of slurry being spread on the road at around 02.55am. "The matter is being treated as a hate crime," said the police statement. While Mr Adams was charged to court today, a 20-year-old man who was arrested in connection with the incident has been released on police bail and is due to appear in court in November. During Mr Adams' brief court appearance, a police officer gave evidence that she believed she could connect the teenager to each of the offences. She outlined how police on patrol happened upon a male wearing a balaclava and carrying "two empty 25 litre jugs". "He admitted that he had been spreading the manure over the roads to disrupt the Pride parade," the officer told the court, adding that the lock knife was found in his pocket when he was searched. The courty heard that Mr Adams "freely admitted" that he intended to disrupt that Pride parade due to be held later that day and during formal police interviews, the teenager told police "he was not the only person involved". The farmer told police he had filled four or five, five gallon jugs with "hen litter waste" from his family farm "and described it as a prank". Regarding issues of bail, the officer conceded the parade had now taken place and further that Mr Adams has absolutely no criminal record. District Judge Peter King heard the clean up operation cost £788 (€921). Under cross examination from Mr Ballentine, the officer agreed that Mr Adams "cooperated fully with the police" and also that he told them he had the knife as part of his work. Submitting that Mr Adams "comes from good stock" in North Antrim and that the incident "is very much out of character," Mr Ballentine said that having spent the weekend in a police cell, Mr Adams "has learnt a very salutary lesson". He argued that Mr Adams could be granted bail and Judge King agreed. Freeing Mr Adams on his own bail of £500 and adjourning the case to 24 July, the judge imposed several conditions, including a curfew, barred Mr Adams from entering Ballymena and from contacting his co-accused. Having heard the incident by mobile phone, he also ordered that Mr Adams can only have a phone which cannot access the internet and he has to pass on the details of any phone to the police.
