Belfast disorder: man charged with 28 offences

By David Young, PA

A 22-year-old man has been remanded in custody charged with 28 offences, including riot, arson attacks and assaulting a police officer.

Several of the counts facing Lennon Ashwood are related to the disorder that flared in Belfast linked to anti-immigration protests earlier this month.

He is also charged with a range of offences allegedly committed during unrelated bouts of rioting in the Broadway area of Belfast in July.

Ashwood, from Tavanagh Street in Belfast, appeared before a judge at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

He spoke briefly to confirm he understood the 28 charges he was facing.

A detective constable told the court he could connect the accused to the charges.

A defence solicitor told deputy district judge John Connolly there were would no application for bail.

In response, the judge made clear that if an application had been made it would have been refused, given the "serious nature and racially aggravated elements of these offences".

Ashwood is charged with four counts of riot across four separate dates - August 3 and 5 and July 15 and 16.

Disorder flared in the Sandy Row area of Belfast on August 3 following an anti-immigration protest in the city centre. Businesses owned by members of ethnic minority communities were set alight and cars were also torched.

Violence again broke out in the area two days later.

Unrelated disorder had occurred in the nearby Broadway area the previous month.

Ashwood is charged with four counts of riot; three counts of possessing an offensive weapon with intent to commit an offence; two counts of throwing petrol bombs; two counts of possessing fireworks without a licence and one count of throwing a firework; three counts of criminal damage related to bin fires; four counts of intentionally encouraging or assisting a riot; one charge of causing an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious injury; and one charge of possessing a petrol bomb in suspicious circumstances.

He is further charged with the attempted grievous bodily harm of a PSNI constable on August 3.

On the same date, he is accused of arson with intent to endanger life in connection with a fire at the Syrian-owned Sham Supermarket on the Donegall Road in the Sandy Row area.

Ashwood is also accused with arson in relation to a fire at the nearby Bash Cafe and is further charged with stealing a till and cash from the same business.

He is also facing three counts of arson in relation to the burning of three cars.

The accused was remanded in custody to September 17 when his case will come before a judge again.

In relation to the recent disorder in Northern Ireland, police have made 40 arrests with 32 people having been charged.