A man accused of petrol bombing police amid racially-fuelled rioting in east Belfast was allegedly identified when his mask slipped as he fled from the scene, a court has heard.
Colin Moneypenny, 33, was among four men from the city remanded into custody on charges connected to street violence in the Connswater area on Wednesday night.
He appeared at Belfast Magistrates Court on Friday along with George Main, 25, Paul McCaughey, 32, and 18-year-old Cameron Armstrong.
All four of them have been charged with riotous assembly.
Moneypenny, from Dhu Varren Crescent; Main, of Hatton Drive; and McCaughey, from Gotha Street; also face counts of possessing and throwing a petrol bomb with intent to destroy a PSNI vehicle.
The court heard police came under attack from a large crowd throwing masonry, fireworks and other projectiles as part of a “huge spike in public disorder with racial undertones” across the United Kingdom.
Moneypenny allegedly threw one of the petrol bombs at PSNI Land Rovers after emerging from the group gathered at Connswater wearing a black jacket, trousers, and mask.
“He ran off, police drove after him and observed that his mask dropped to reveal a light coloured goatee beard,” the detective said.
Moneypenny, who is further charged with criminal damage and resisting police, was located a short time later at a nearby road junction.
It was claimed that he “resisted furiously” as officers on patrol challenged him to get down onto the ground.
Defence barrister Michael Boyd stressed that Moneypenny fiercely denied any involvement in the disorder.
“There are a number of discrepancies… in terms of the clothing described, facial hair and other aspects of the way this assailant attacked police,” he argued.
Mr Boyd said Moneypenny had travelled to a McDonalds restaurant at Connswater with friends, but found it closed and parked up in the area in order to “spectate”.
Armstrong, of Lewis Gardens, was arrested after a police helicopter tracked one of those allegedly involved in the rioting.
Officers on the ground were alerted as he broke off from the group and ran from the scene onto the Newtownards Road, the court heard.
A short time later the teenager was located at his home address wearing just a grey pair of tracksuit bottoms.
A black North Face jacket seized from the property matched the description of the suspected rioter provided by air support observers.
Defence solicitor Andrew Russell told the court Armstrong accepted being present “on the periphery of the scene” but denied involvement in any acts of disorder.
“When a petrol bomb was thrown at that point he extricated himself because the situation had deteriorated,” he said.
Asked to explain why his client had been in the area, Mr Russell replied: “He heard that this was ongoing and he went down to have a look.”
With neither Main nor McCaughey seeking bail, applications mounted by Moneypenny and Armstrong were both refused.
District Judge Francis Rafferty stated: “Anybody involving themselves in this type of disorder, be they an active participant or a curious observer, can expect to be remanded into custody.”
All four accused are due to appear in court again on September 9.