A 19-year-old man has appeared in court after slurry was spread on a number of streets in Ballymena, County Antrim, in the early hours of Saturday morning, ahead of the town's first Pride parade. Isaac Adams from Lislaban Road, Cloughmills, has been charged with criminal damage, possession of an article with a blade or point and causing material to be deposited on a road. At Coleraine Magistrates' Court on Monday, a detective sergeant said officers found Mr Adams in the town centre at about 02:45 BST on Saturday, wearing a balaclava and holding two empty jugs of manure. They said he admitted distributing the slurry ahead of Ballymena Pride and that he described it as a "prank". The court heard that Mr Adams admitted he had committed the act in protest of the Pride march later that day. Mr Adams told police he was not the only person involved and wore a balaclava to conceal his identity. He also said the manure was hen waste and that Mr Adams had filled four to five drums from his own farm. The court was told that Mr Adams did fully co-operate with police at the scene, admitted the "prank" was stupid and showed remorse. It also heard that Mr Adams works as a maintenance engineer on a family farm and that the lock knife was in his possession because he was still wearing his work trousers. The court heard the 19-year-old was caught in the headlights of the police van on a routine patrol. Mr Adams was granted bail under strict conditions, including a 23:00 to 05:00 curfew and not entering any part of Ballymena that is under the 30mph zone. He was also told he must not possess a telephone with internet access. The judge told Mr Adams that breaching his bail conditions must not be considered a prank. Mr Adams was released on bail of £500 and is due to appear in court again on 24 July. Meanwhile, a 20-year-old man who was arrested after slurry was spread across Ballymena's streets ahead of the Pride parade on Saturday, has been released on bail. The man wasarrested on Sundayas part of the police investigation into the incident. He was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, aiding and abetting criminal damage and causing material to be deposited on a road.
Man in court over Ballymena Pride slurry says it was 'a prank'
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"Teen Charged with Criminal Damage After Slurry Incident Before Ballymena Pride Parade"
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TruthLens AI Summary
A 19-year-old man, Isaac Adams, appeared in Coleraine Magistrates' Court after he was charged with multiple offenses, including criminal damage, possession of an article with a blade or point, and causing material to be deposited on a road. The charges stemmed from an incident that occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning when slurry was spread across several streets in Ballymena, County Antrim, just before the town's inaugural Pride parade. During the court proceedings, a detective sergeant detailed how police found Adams in the town center around 2:45 AM, wearing a balaclava and holding two empty jugs that were previously filled with manure. Adams admitted to distributing the slurry as a form of protest against the Pride event, describing the act as a 'prank'. He revealed that he was not alone in this act and acknowledged that his actions were misguided, expressing remorse for the disturbance caused on such a significant day for the local LGBTQ+ community.
The court heard that Adams filled the jugs with hen waste from his own family farm and was caught by police during a routine patrol. He cooperated with law enforcement at the scene, admitting that the prank was 'stupid'. Alongside his charges, the court noted that he was found in possession of a lock knife, which he had on him due to wearing his work trousers. Adams was granted bail under stringent conditions, which included a curfew from 11 PM to 5 AM and a prohibition from entering any area of Ballymena that falls within a 30mph zone. He was also instructed not to possess a telephone with internet capabilities. The judge emphasized that any breach of these bail conditions would not be taken lightly. Adams was released on bail set at £500 and is scheduled to return to court on July 24. Additionally, a 20-year-old man, arrested in connection with the incident, has also been released on bail as the investigation continues.
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