A 19-year-old man has appeared in court charged with spreading hen manure on public roads in Ballymena in the early hours of Saturday morning, in what police are treating as a hate crime against the town’s inaugural Pride parade.
Isaac Adams, of Lislaban Road near Cloughmills, appeared at Coleraine Magistrates’ Court on Monday, facing multiple charges including causing manure to be deposited on a road “in such a position as to cause or be likely to cause an obstruction or danger”, criminal damage to Granville Drive in Ballymena, and possession of a lock knife without lawful authority.
The court heard that Adams was arrested around 2.55am on Saturday, 28 June, after officers on patrol observed slurry on the road in the Granville Drive area.
A police officer told the court that Adams was seen wearing a balaclava and carrying two empty 25-litre jugs, which he admitted had contained manure.
Adams told police he had been spreading the manure as an act of “protest” against the Ballymena Pride Parade, and admitted his intent was to disrupt the event. He said the substance was hen litter waste from his own farm and described the act as a “prank”. The defendant claimed he was not acting alone.
Police have confirmed that the incident is being treated as a hate crime.
During the hearing, the defence solicitor described Adams’ actions as “foolish and stupid” and noted that the 19-year-old had fully co-operated with police. It was stressed that Adams had no prior criminal record, worked as an engineer on his family farm, and the lock knife found in his possession had been in his work trousers, which he had been wearing at the time.
The solicitor told the court:
“There was no slurry tanker involved but small canisters with hen manure.”
“The incident was very much out of character. He comes from law-abiding stock.”
The defence also presented six references from local church elders and a statement from his employer, describing the incident as a prank that had “gone badly wrong”. Adams’ parents were present in the public gallery.
The court heard that the clean-up operation cost £788, with multiple roads across Ballymena affected by the slurry. Though Adams admitted involvement in the Broughshane Street area, other roads including Greenvale Street, where the Pride parade concluded, were also targeted.
District Judge Peter King granted Adams bail of £500, noting his lack of prior convictions and that another suspect in the case had already been released on bail. Conditions of Adams’ bail include a prohibition from entering Ballymena except for court-related matters, a curfew between 11pm and 5am, and a ban on using a mobile phone with internet access.
The case has been adjourned to Ballymena Magistrates’ Court on 24 July.
A 20-year-old man arrested in connection with the same incident has been released on bail until late November, police confirmed.
Despite the attempted disruption, hundreds marched through Ballymena town centre on Saturday afternoon in the town’s first ever Pride parade, which concluded at Greenvale Street after the area had been cleaned with power hoses. A counter-protest also took place at the Harmony Hub, with a visible police presence ensuring public safety.
by pt92_01
20 comments
Here he is from his Facebook page (bystander black out for anonymity):
https://preview.redd.it/j7fowbpla2af1.png?width=624&format=png&auto=webp&s=7af458a481d914a893356777fcff58e822ffdb28
**The defence also presented six references from local church elders and a statement from his employer, describing the incident as a prank that had** ***“gone badly wrong”.***
Gone badly wrong? How else was the prank supposed to go?
“References from elders” … either you’re guilty or not. What is the point of references?
Comes from law abiding stock? What a strange choice of words
Ah, your honour, sure it’s just ~~boys~~ cunts being ~~boys~~ cunts
> A statement from his employer
Doesn’t he work for his parents?
If he’s already out on bail, why hasn’t the 20-year old been named?
Given that the “prank” was spreading chicken shit around the town, and he succeeded in doing that, how did it “go badly wrong”?
Shouldn’t be classed as a prank! It was a hate crime and should be treated as such.
Prank 😳 reference from his employer aka family & from a load of gay hating old geezers.
Jaysus my BFF was burnt out for being gay 37 years ago & hate is still alive & well 😕
How only crime was to get caught vibes
I don’t really understand why being from “law-abiding stock” and having people say he’s a top lad matters one iota when he clearly broke the fucking law.
So because some family friend says “naw, he’s just being silly, he’s a good fella really” that matters? Try him against the crime he has commited, not what some fuckwit from the local westboro church has to say
Was Ballymena always this bad? Genuine question. Spent alot of my childhood up there, I’m from the Republic but my dad’s from there. Never had any bother from anyone in the late 90s
Seems like the place has regressed terribly. No offence meant, just curious
If he gets sent to prison be might soon have to enjoy his own gay desires 😂
So a Protestant young man from probably a farming family with a colonial history who vote for DUP or even TUV. In other words a fucking prick.
The word “man” is used very liberally these days
>a prank that had *“gone badly wrong”*
**Translation:** A hate crime that he got caught committing.
At 19 and thats his attitude already. He is in for a very miserable life indeed of just always being pure raging
touted on his mate too…..
…Six references from church elders ……fuck it’s like time travel but in real life
As part of his punishment they should get him to spend some time speaking to people who work with LGBT mental health and suicide charities in NI and educate the man about some of the things they’ll have heard. Make him realise what his behaviour helps to cause people to go through
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