A 19-year-old man has appeared in court charged in connection with the spraying of slurry on the streets of Ballymena ahead of the town's first ever Pride parade last weekend.
Isaac Adams, of Lislaban Road, Cloughmills, appeared before Coleraine Magistrates Court charged with a number of offences following Saturday's incident.
He was charged with criminal damage, possessing a lock knife and causing manure to be deposited on the road.
The court heard that Adams admitted filling four or five drums of hen litter waste from his farm and pouring it over the road to disrupt the Pride parade taking place on Saturday afternoon.
Constable Coyle confirmed to the court that on Saturday 28 June at approximately 2.45am, police were patrolling in the town centre of Ballymena when they came across the defendant.
He was found wearing a balaclava, carrying two empty 25-litre jugs, which he stated had contained manure.
Mr Adams admitted he'd been spreading the manure over the surrounding roads in order to disrupt the Ballymena Pride parade, which was set to take place later that same day.
He was searched, and a lock knife was found in his pocket.
He was arrested for criminal damage and possession of a bladed article.
Whilst under caution, the defendant freely admitted that he had committed the act in protest against the upcoming parade later that day.
The court heard he admitted to spreading the waste manure in the town and told police he was not the only person involved.
It heard Mr Adams admitted to wearing the balaclava to conceal his identity, and he confirmed the manure was a hen litter waste.
He said he had filled four or five drums of waste from his own farm, and he described it as a prank.
Police opposed bail but said that the defendant does not have any criminal record, that the event has now passed and that another man, who was arrested on Saturday, has been bailed until November.
Solicitor for the accused, Stewart Ballentine, told the court that Adams co-operated fully with police and made admissions.
Ms Coyle agreed that the accused showed remorse and described it as a prank.
The court heard the accused is a maintenance engineer and works on the family farm and had been wearing work trousers at the time of the incident, which contained the lock knife.
Mr Adams was granted bail under a number of conditions, including that he reside at an address at Lislaban Road in Cloughmills, not to enter Ballymena, not possess a phone capable of internet access, and remain under curfew between 11pm and 5am.
Mr Adams was warned that breaching his bail conditions would not be considered a prank.
A 20-year-old man who was also arrested in connection with the incident has been released on police bail.
