A 37-year-old Lisburn man accused of driving past a group of loyalists at an interface, waving a tricolour and shouting “Up The Ra” has been released on bail.
Appearing at Belfast Magistrates Court on Friday via videolink, Finatan Jude Geraghty from Ivy Hill was released from custody, but banned from being within a mile of the north Belfast flashpoint.
Prior to bail being granted, a constable from the PSNI told deputy district judge Austin Kennedy that police were objecting to Mr Geraghty’s release.
Regarding the incident, the constable said that at about 8.30pm on Tuesday evening last, July 14th, police were present at the loyalist camp at Twaddell Avenue when a silver Alfa Romeo drove up the Crumlin Road.
As the car passed the camp the passenger, who Mr Geraghty has admitted was him, hung a “large Irish tricolour” out the window.
‘Clearly heard’
As about 150 loyalist protesters stood by, Mr Geraghty is accused of shouting “Up The Ra” in a “loud and clear manner”, which the constable said was “clearly heard by police and protesters”.
The constable said this prompted the loyalists to “surge forward” onto the road, causing police at the scene to intervene.
The policewoman said the incident occurred in an area where there was “significant tension ”at the time.
The court heard police then tried to stop the car using lights and sirens, but the vehicle was driven up the Crumlin Road at speed.
The tricolour was discarded in Ligoneil and a police helicopter later observed the vehicle being driven in the area erratically.
When Mr Geraghty was arrested on a charge of perpetrating the provocative act, he said: “What do you mean provocative act? There are hundreds of flags on the other side.”
The constable revealed that while Mr Geraghty has since admitted waving the flag out of the car window, he denied shouting “Up The Ra”, claiming it was someone else in the car.
Not sectarian
Mr Geraghty also made the case that he was not sectarian and that he had been at the interface prior to the incident to try to keep the area calm.
The policewoman said bail was objected to due to the sectarian element of the offence, the “sensitive time of year” it was committed at and ongoing community tension in the area.
She said a police presence in the area “didn’t deter” Mr Geraghty from “going to that location and committing this offence”.
Defence solicitor Niall O’Neill said “three days in custody have had a suitably chastening affect” on Mr Geraghty, who wanted to get home to his son and partner.
Mr O’Neill said his client had made admissions, was remorseful and would abide by any bail conditions put in place.
Notorious flashpoint
The solicitor said tensions at the notorious flashpoint had since “dissipated”.
Deputy district judge Austin Kennedy said while Mr Geraghty’s actions were “nonsensical” and could have caused further tensions, he had “recognised the error of his ways”.
Mr Geraghty was released on his own bail of £500, excluded from being within one mile of the interface and ordered to report to police twice a week. He was also told to observe a 9pm to 8am curfew.
Mr Geraghty’s co-accused, Christopher Maxwell (38) of Centenary House in Belfast, will be applying for bail next Monday.
The case will be heard again on August 14th.