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Man admits using flag riot as diversion for robbery

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A man who used a riot as a “diversion” to rob a filling station was remanded into custody on Saturday.

A detective constable told Belfast Crown Court that during rioting on the O’Neill Road in Newtownabbey on Friday, January 4, whilst police were under attack just yards away, 24-year-old James Boreland went into the Centra Filling Station and robbed it of £200 (pounds).

The officer recounted how Boreland, from Ardmillan Drive also Newtownabbey, covered his features with a scarf and hood before threatening the frightened female sales assistants with a bottle.

Objecting to a bail application the officer revealed that during police interviews Boreland had made “full and frank admissions” and told the court police feared that with ongoing civil unrest and given that he used that as a diversion to commit the offence, he would reoffend.

Despite his solicitor stating publicly that Boreland wanted to apologise to the garage’s staff and customer for putting them through the ordeal, District Judge Fiona Bagnall said she shared police concerns about the opportunites presented by ongoing riots so was refusing bail.

She told Boreland however that once the civil unrest has “subsided” the issue of his bail could be looked at again and remanded him into custody to appear again on January 29 by videolink.


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