A teenager appeared in court on Saturday accused of punching a police officer in the face during a disturbance at west Belfast Féile.
Appearing at Belfast Magistrates Court by videolink from custody the 17-year-old, who cannot be identified because of his age, was charged with causing an inspector actual bodily harm on 8 August this year.
Objecting to the teenager being freed a detective constable told the court how the incident happened at the Féile music festival where the inspector saw the defendant arguing and then punching a member of the security staff.
“She approached to calm the situation down and he has turned around and punched her in the face,” said the officer, adding that the inspector had to go to hospital for treatment.
The 17-year-old ran away into Falls Park but was located and arrested and the detective said police were objecting to bail due to fears he would commit further offences.
She revealed the teenager is already on bail for six charges of assaulting police, disorderly behaviour and resisting police.
In that case, one officer sustain a broken tooth “and all of the officers were spat on” so there is a concern that “this young man has a propensity for violence towards police.”
District Judge Mark Hamill said while he was granting bail he was doing so “extremely reluctantly.”
Freeing the teenager on his own bail of £50 with a surety of £500 and adjourning the case to 23 August, the judge banned him from alcohol, imposed a curfew and a tag.
Having heard that he turns 18 in December, Judge Hamill warned that if he offended after that “the legal landscape will change for you.