Bare-chested rioter who drank two bottles of Buckfast pleads guilty
A bare-chested rioter drank two bottles of Buckfast before attacking police with masonry in a self-confessed bout of “recreational hooliganism”, the High Court heard today.
Jamie Smyth, 21, has been charged in connection with racially-fuelled disorder which spread to Portadown last week.
Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan was told he will be pleading guilty to a charge of riot and is “disgusted” with himself.
Bail was refused, however, after prosecutors said police remain on a state of high alert, braced for any further unrest this weekend.
Smyth of Derrylileagh Road in Portadown, was arrested after police came under further attack from a crowd of up to 100 people at West Street in the town on June 13.
Crown counsel said he was identified wearing shorts, woolly hat and snood but with no top on.
Footage of the disturbances showed Smyth breaking up and throwing pieces of masonry at the police lines, the court heard.
He was also allegedly observed trying to block a nearby road with burning wheelie bins and throwing remnants at passing cars.
Police detained him after he had injured himself by jumping over a wall, later requiring hospital treatment for a lacerated hand and cuts to his legs.
Paddy Taggart, defending, confirmed that Smyth intends to plead guilty without any equivocation.
“He has never been to a parade or protest in his life, he has no issues with immigrants, but he has got himself dragged into this,” the barrister submitted.
“This is a prime example of recreational hooliganism, he drank two bottles of Buckfast and didn’t know any of the others involved."