Three men allegedly subjected to 'vicious' sectarian assault in Belfast city centre after one was discovered to be wearing GAA top, court told

Police said two of them were punched and kicked about the head and body as they lay defenceless in the middle of Castle Street at the weekend.

One victim suffered a broken collar bone and wrist during an attack described as savage and unprovoked.

Details emerged as a cattle farmer was remanded in custody over his alleged involvement in the incident early on Sunday morning.

Andrew McCullough appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court charged with two counts of attempted grievous bodily harm with intent.

The 36-year-old, whose address was given as Greenvale in the city, claims he acted in self-defence.

The court was told that the three victims, all aged 18, were on a night out when they struck up a friendly conversation with McCullough and another 35-year-old man currently in custody on connected charges.

A detective said the co-accused noticed one of the trio was wearing a GAA top and asked his religion.

“On stating that he was a Catholic, he was punched in the face by, causing him to fall to the ground,” she claimed.

When another of the teenagers tried to intervene he was also knocked over and “savagely kicked to the head and body”.

As one victim lay prone he was stamped on and trailed along the middle of the road, the court heard.

At one point the co-accused allegedly chased the third member of the group towards a nearby McDonald’s restaurant before returning to continue the assault on his defenceless friend.

Based on CCTV footage of the incident, the 35-year-old man attempted to put one of the victims through a shop window and then threw him back onto the road.

McCullough allegedly joined in the attack by striking out at two of the teenagers lying on the ground.

“While (his co-accused) was viciously assaulting them, McCullough just ‘dandered over’ and kicked them,” the detective contended.

Disputing suggestions McCullough felt under threat, she instead claimed that he adopted a “laissez-faire” attitude as the attacks were carried out.

“He threw his water bottle, or whatever the contents were, over them,” the detective said.

Opposing his application for bail, she confirmed police are treating it as a sectarian incident.

“It was a vicious and unprovoked attack on three young adults who were just enjoying a night out with friends,” she added.

Defence solicitor Hamill Clawson insisted nearly all of the alleged violence was carried out by his client’s co-accused.

During police interviews McCullough claimed three males had approached him outside McDonald’s and made sectarian comments.

At that point the co-accused became involved and allegedly carried out most of the violence.

“My client indicates that one of the males on the ground said ‘when I get up I’m going to kill you’, and he went over and kicked him,” Mr Clawson said.

“He accepts that he went too far by kicking out at someone who was on the floor, but the magnitude of the injuries were not sustained by the actions of this defendant.”

District Judge Steven Keown was told McCullough has no previous record, and rears cattle and horses on a 100-acre farm near Hillsborough, Co Down.

Bail was refused, however, on the grounds of risk of re-offending.

Remanding McCullough in custody until next month, Mr Keown said: “On the police case, not only is this a case of extreme violence over a prolonged period, but also one based on sectarian views where the defendant is prepared to attack strangers on the basis of religion.”