UTV News - Ardoyne residents 'prisoners' during riot

Subscribe to the News Feed Newsback to News

Ardoyne residents 'prisoners' during riot

Text Size:  A  A |  POST A COMMENT |  PRINT |  SHARE 
Judge hits out at Ardoyne rioting
Residents in a north Belfast district have been "kept prisoners" for decades during Twelfth of July street violence, a High Court judge said on Friday.

Mr Justice McLaughlin hit out at rioters in Ardoyne as he refused bail to a man accused of travelling 30 miles to take part in this month's trouble.

He ruled that Paul Donegan, 26, of Dunclug Park, Ballymena, should remain in custody "until the madness stops".

The judge also disclosed how the disorder had impacted on his own family as he was growing up.

He said: "What went on at Ardoyne was an outrage.

"My mother and father were held prisoners every Twelfth of July for 40 years because of this carry on. I couldn't get to school when I was a child because of this carry on."

Donegan, charged with riotous assembly at Ardoyne, is alleged to have thrown stones and kicked out at police lines.

The High Court heard he travelled from Ballymena on the day with his heavily pregnant partner to collect a Moses basket and other items from her relatives in the area.

Jonathan Browne, defending, said Donegan went to the scene of the rioting at the shop fronts because "curiosity got the better of him".

He argued that any involvement was amateurish as photographs allegedly show the accused in a distinctive tracksuit and with a tattoo visible.

Mr Browne said: "We say he effectively became involved in this as opposed to planning to become involved."

But Mr Justice McLaughlin held that Donegan could not be released in the current circumstances.

"Anybody involved in this on a voluntary basis needs to be kept out of harms way until the madness stops," he said.

The judge said the rioters caused huge public alarm and distress, particularly to Ardoyne residents who were "being kept prisoners year after year for decades now".

"These people don't have any regard for anybody else who lives there. They only have regard for themselves."

© UTV News

Send to a friend

Email To
Your Name
Comment
Close
At 18:49 on 03 August 2010, BIG ERNEST wrote:
jane . it is quite simple , the bigots you refer to were walking through their own neighbourhood , it is the scum of the earth transported in by henious rats that caused the trouble , never forget that !!
At 19:24 on 01 August 2010, Jane wrote:
The problem begins with hateful, bigoted marches through neighborhoods where they aren't wanted. It's simple. Bigots: march through your own neighborhhoods!
At 14:22 on 31 July 2010, Ulster Loyalist wrote:
The irony is, the busiest Ardoyne shop front is, is when there is a full scale riot taking place because an Orange Order parade passes Ardoyne! I think the shops should open. They would do a roaring trade with passing bandsmen and Orangemen and supporters!
At 14:09 on 31 July 2010, Billy wrote:
@ No mug. They tried bussing the Orangemen and bandsmen down the Crumlin Road PAST the entrance to Ardoyne and the poor MOPE's in Ardoyne were so offended they stoned the buses. Intolerance is rife and bigotry is part of their breeding.
At 12:31 on 31 July 2010, mcgurk wrote:
no mug you simply have no idea the parade goes down the main crumlin road and its nowear near the ardoyne people.so theres no need for protesters being on the main crumlin road especialy people from "AS FAR AWAY AS ballymeana and londonderry " .on any other day of the year there would be about 10 people at them shops in total i pass through it every day of the week so dont be coming on here spreading your hatered by saying the marchs should be stopped.Lets look at the facts shall we the parade takes 10 minutes to pass, no orange men were aggressive or acted in any way threatening,they wernt even playing music, no orange men were arrested,plus the orange men have used the same route for many years without trouble. this trouble in ardoyne has only started the last few years because of people who dont even live in ardoyne.Also the actual part of the crumlin road it pass's is more protestant than it is catholic so get your facts right before coming on here with your bigotry.
At 05:51 on 31 July 2010, John wrote:
@ no mug As Gerry Kelly stated, the Orange men where gone and in their beds while HOODS disrupted the area. Since when did HOODS fight for the freedom of the 32 counties?
At 23:31 on 30 July 2010, john wrote:
what i saw blair is the supporters and even bandsmen jeering, pointing and jumping about, thast clearly deliberatly sticking 2 fingers up at the protesters, so just as bad. ban them all.
Post a comment
Name:
Email Address:
Location:
Your Comment:
Verification Code: Captcha Code  Get New Code
POST COMMENT
[Before posting, please take a moment to familiarise yourself with our house rules. All comments are moderated and will not appear immediately. Any information you enter, including email and web addresses, will be displayed on our site if passed by our moderators.]