"Paedophile hunter" appears in court after the word 'nonce' is sprayed on car in Ballymena

Alan Victor Palmer (55), of Parklands, is charged in relation to Monday June 5. He faces three charges - causing criminal damage to a man's car; possessing a firearm - an 'airgun' - in a public place 'without lawful authority or reasonable excuse'; and possession of a firearm or imitation firearm to cause fear that 'unlawful violence could be used'.

The defendant appeared from custody in Antrim town at Antrim Magistrates' Court, sitting in Ballymena, on Tuesday.

Objecting to bail, a police officer said around 4pm on Monday police attended the Crebilly Road area of Ballymena following reports of a "suspicious male putting something on to the victim's car".

Police arrived and a man was speaking to Palmer who had a "black dog". The PSNI officer told the court the defendant was wearing sunglasses and had tattooed arms and pierced eyebrows.

The officer said the word 'nonce' had been spray painted in white on the side of the other man's vehicle.

She said the man "appeared very badly shaken and was eager to leave the area as a matter of urgency".

The officer said the man did not know Palmer and when he went back inside "to pack his things" police spoke to the defendant. She said police had discovered the defendant described himself as a "paedophile hunter".

When police said they were going to search his vehicle, Palmer told officers they would find "white chalk" and a "spray canister" as he "did it".

Officers found a "firearm" in the foot well beside a spray paint canister and Palmer said it was an "airsoft gun".

When interviewed the defendant admitted causing criminal damage to the vehicle and admitted having an "imitation firearm" but claimed he "forgot" he had left it in the car and he denied having it to cause fear of violence to the man.

She said the victim had declined to make a statement to police but his "girlfriend" had made a statement to the PSNI.

The officer added: "Police are concerned that the defendant is like a self-styled vigilante, of sorts, whereby he, by his own admissions in interview, stated that he had heard people would be after" the man and "he took it upon himself to give him advice by way of spray painting his car".

The court heard the defendant had a record for no TV licence in 2018; a court appearance in 2015 regarding an allegation of assault when he received a conditional discharge and he had been at Ballymena Crown Court in 1991 for "robbery", assault occasioning actual bodily harm and assault.

A defence lawyer said it was an "unusual case" and was not the normal sort of "paedophile hunter" case involving a 'decoy' and a 'communication' and it bore "none of the hallmarks of paramilitary vigilantism".

He said Palmer had made admissions and the "context is unusual".

The defence lawyer said the defendant's case put forward at interview was that he had "identified" that the "subject of the criminal damage may, or may not, have been convicted of possessing images of children".

The barrister said Palmer, a dad, told police he had spray-painted the car to "encourage the person to leave the area".

District Judge Nigel Broderick refused bail and said it was "disturbing" for anyone to approach someone and "essentially intimidate them" and whatever Palmer's motive was it had been "wholly inappropriate" as "there are statutory agencies who have a clear responsibility to enforce the law and it is their responsibility and nobody else's to enforce the law".

The judge was concerned that if admitted to bail there would be a risk of further offences and a risk of "interference" with the complainant and the witness.

The case was adjourned to June 29.