Published Wednesday, 18 July 2012
The accused was refused bail on Wednesday. (© Pacemaker)
Prosecutors claimed that 33-year-old Alan Daniel Lundy became involved in trouble after performing duties at the Greater Ardoyne Residents Collective (GARC) protest.
It was also disclosed that police have charged him with an alleged attack on soldiers in the same area seven years ago after viewing media footage last week for the first time.
Lundy, of Rosehead Drive, Belfast, is accused of two counts of riotous assembly on 12 July in 2005 and 2012.
He is further charged with possessing an offensive weapon, namely a wooden plank, in the earlier incident.
Charges were brought against him and other suspects as part of a probe into the violence which erupted around a contentious Orange Order parade and GARC counter-demonstration.
More than 20 police officers were injured last Thursday when petrol bombs, bricks, stones and bottles were thrown at them amid the disorder.
Up to 10 shots were fired from the nationalist side in the Brompton Park area of Ardoyne.
The court heard Lundy was carrying out marshalling duties at the GARC protest when police spotted him ushering parade members into Brompton Park.
A prosecution barrister said: "He was then observed to move into the middle of the crowd, from where police saw him throw missiles at them."
Further charges were brought against him following an audit of old media footage of the 2005 disorder acquired by police.
During a bail application Mr Justice McLaughlin was told the material was viewed for the first time on 10 July.
It was alleged that Lundy could be easily identified as one of the most violent participants in an attack on soldiers who became isolated from police and military support.
"He can be seen at the rear of the crowd and he's noted to actually fight his way through the crowd to the front to get to the soldiers who are on foot," the prosecution barrister said.
"Once there, he has a large plank which he uses to attack the soldiers repeatedly."
Defence counsel John O'Connor said it "beggared belief" that alleged evidence from 2005 was only emerging now.
He also stressed that police have no footage of Lundy throwing missiles during last week's trouble.
"They are simply relying on an eye witness who had recording equipment on him but did not record him throwing anything," Mr O'Connor said.
The barrister also confirmed his client had been certified by the Parades Commission as a marshal at the GARC march.
Bail was refused due to the risk of re-offending.
However, Mr Justice McLaughlin did grant bail to three other Belfast men charged in connection with the Ardoyne rioting.
They were: Michael McDonnell, 23, of Ardoyne Road; Gary Martin, 41, from Benview Drive; and Dean Cromie, 18, of Alliance Road.
All of them were curfewed and banned from going within 500 metres of any parade, demonstration or protest as part of their release conditions.