Northern Ireland

West Belfast man shouted pro-IRA chants in Sandy Row

Also taunts about the Omagh bomb and the murder of a prison officer

A republican wall mural in Ballymurphy in west Belfast depicting IRA men patrolling the streets
A republican wall mural in Ballymurphy in west Belfast depicting IRA men patrolling the streets

A bare chested west Belfast man allegedly shouted pro-IRA chants and threatened to slice a baby’s throat during an outburst in a staunchly unionist neighbourhood, a court has heard.

Police claimed Connor Haughey also made taunting comments about the Omagh bomb atrocity and the murder of a prison officer in front of children and other onlookers in the Sandy Row area.

The 34-year-old defendant was arrested after spitting on and trying to headbutt PSNI officers after jumping onto the roof of a car at the scene on Thursday morning.

Haughey, from Forest Street, was remanded into custody on charges of disorderly behaviour, assaults on police, threats to kill and criminal damage.

Belfast Magistrates Court heard on Friday police received several reports from members of the public about a topless man shouting obscenities on Sandy Row in the south of the city just before 11am.

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A man in the area claimed the accused had jumped on the bonnet  and up onto the roof of his Seat Leon before falling off, causing dents to the car.

“A second member of the public stated the defendant had threatened to slice her and her baby’s throat, and she believed this threat to be real,” a PSNI constable said.

By that stage Haughey was in a highly agitated state, making sectarian comments, the court was told.

“He was shouting ‘up the IRA’, ‘up the Omagh bombing’ and included a comment ‘wacky wack, Davy Black’ regarding the prison officer murdered,” the constable added.

Mr Black, 52, was shot dead by dissident republicans as he drove to work at HMP Maghaberry back in November 2012.

Haughey’s alleged outburst was made in front of local residents, including children attending a nearby summer scheme.

He spat on one officer, tried to head butt another officer and damaged a PSNI vehicle as he was being detained, according to police.

During interviews he claimed to have been involved in an altercation with an unidentified man on Sandy Row.

Haughey said that he jumped onto the bonnet of the car in an attempt to flee from that individual.

He admitted kicking the PSNI vehicle, assaulting officers and criminal damage to the Seat Leon but denied threatening to kill anyone.

Defence barrister Michael Boyd said his client claims to have spent several hours drinking with the unidentified man.

“The individual brought Mr Haughey to the Sandy Row area and assaulted him when they got there,” he contended.

“Quite soon after that a large crowd gathered round because the individual who had assaulted Mr Haughey had called him a ‘Fenian’ in front of other people.”

Mr Boyd added: “It’s all very unsavoury and unpleasant, and Mr Haughey accepts in the aftermath of that assault he hasn’t covered himself in glory.”

Remanding Haughey in custody until August 30, District Judge Amanda Brady told him: “You seem to be on some kind of self-destructive path, I hope you do eventually get help for whatever problems you have.”