Man charged with assaulting MLA

A 21-year-old Ballymena man has appeared in court charged with assaulting two Sinn Fein party members.

Ciaran McGill, from Dunclug Park, faced a total of four charges relating to trouble in Ballymena's Dunclug estate last Thursday.

These including two of assaulting assembly member Daithi McKay MLA and Councillor Padraig McShane.

Mr McGill was remanded in custody at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena.

He is to appear in court again on 14 August. The others charges were disorderly behaviour and affray.

North Antrim MLA Daithi McKay and Councillor McShane were set upon in the Dunclug estate outside the home of a community worker. Both men sustained minor injuries.

The dispute started over the removal of a bonfire to commemorate internment.

A BBC Northern Ireland camera crew who were in the estate caught the incident on film.