Burglary accused '˜had been shot six times'

The 17-year-old is charged with breaking into a house in the north of the city on Friday - two weeks after he was subjected to a paramilitary attack.

Gunmen blasted him within hours of a previous catalogue of violent offences he allegedly committed, a judge was told.

The teenager, who cannot be identified, appeared before Belfast Magistrates’ Court accused of burgling the Antrim Road address and stealing a purse.

He also faces three counts of attempted grievous bodily harm and possessing a claw hammer and baseball bat in public on May 9.

Further charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault, criminal damage to a car, a bicycle, windows and theft of the bike valued at £430 relate to the same date.

As the youth was brought into court on crutches, police strenuously opposed his application for bail.

Defence solicitor Robert Murtagh said his client claims he only went into the house after seeing the men who had previously attacked him.

He said: “There’s some sort of ongoing background to this, resulting in the explosion of alleged offences on May 9.”

“Then (the accused) was abducted by a number of masked men and shot six times in the lower part of his body.”

Mr Murtagh disclosed the possibility of his client going to live with a relative in England.

Adjourning the case for checks on that address, District Judge Amanda Henderson remanded the teenager in custody until Friday.