Man charged with spreading of slurry in Ballymena ahead of town's first Pride parade has case adjourned

Isaac Adams (19), of Lislaban Road near Cloughmills, was released on continuing bail. The case was further adjourned to August 28 when a PSNI officer is due to attend court to provide an update.

The case file had been expected to have been sent by police to prosecutors earlier this month.

The defendant is charged with causing 'manure' to be deposited on a road 'in such a position as to cause or be likely to cause an obstruction or danger'; causing criminal damage to Granville Drive in Ballymena; and possessing a lock knife 'without good reason or lawful authority' at Granville Drive.

The defendant was arrested after officers on patrol in the Granville Drive area observed slurry on the road at around 2.55am on June 28.

Police had said the matter was being treated as a "hate crime".

At a recent court, a police officer said that at 2.45am a police patrol saw the defendant wearing a balaclava. He was carrying two empty 25 litre jugs which he said had had manure in them.

The defendant admitted he was spreading it to disrupt the Ballymena Pride Parade.

He said he did in "protest" against the parade. He said it was hen litter waste and he wore the balaclava to hide his identity.

The defendant said he filled four or five drums from his own farm and said it was a "prank". The defendant had no record.

A defence solicitor told the earlier court the defendant had fully co-operated.

He made the case he is an engineer and works on the family farm and that was why he had the knife.

The defendant had been wearing his work trousers and the knife was in the pocket.

The defence said no slurry tanker was involved but it was "small canisters with hen manure".

The lawyer said the defendant's involvement was in the Broughshane Street area. Other streets also had manure sprayed. It cost £788 for a clean-up.

References for the defendant had been provided from six elders at his local church and also from his employer.

The solicitor said the incident was "very much out of character".

The defence solicitor said the defendant had spent the weekend in custody before the first court appearance and comes from "law-abiding stock".

The lawyer said the prank had gone badly wrong and after being caught red-handed the defendant made full admissions.

On June 28, the Pride parade saw hundreds of people march through Ballymena town centre. The parade ended at Greenvale Street where slurry had been spread earlier and had been cleaned up by people using power hoses.

A counter-protest was staged at Harmony Hub on the parade route with some people displaying religious messages on placards. There was a police presence at the parade.