A man allegedly climbed to the top of a crane in Belfast and caused an estimated £20,000 damage by hurling objects to the street below, a court heard today.
Michael Scott, 34, is also accused of throwing a fire extinguisher at a police officer’s head after negotiators were deployed to the city centre construction site.
Scott, of Forthriver Drive in North Belfast, is charged with criminal damage and possessing an offensive weapon over the incident in the early hours of Tuesday morning. He also faces three counts of assault on police and common assault.
Opposing his application for bail at the city’s Magistrates Court, a PSNI constable said Scott is alleged to have pushed his partner down a flight of steps in Custom House Square. Police then received a report about a man climbing up a tower crane at the Ulster University construction site on Frederick Street.
Officers went to the scene and discovered Scott had allegedly scaled to the top of the machine.
The constable said: “He remained on it for a number of hours, throwing items to the street below. A considerable amount of damage was caused to the crane, with the initial estimate of around £20,000.”
Police negotiators persuaded Scott to come down, but he allegedly ran off on reaching the bottom. It was claimed that he picked up a fire extinguisher and threw it at a sergeant, narrowly missing his head, as officers chased him within the building site.
The court heard he climbed up a second crane, followed by members of a rescue team who put their own safety at risk. Scott was eventually arrested, but allegedly continued to struggle violently, striking one officer on the leg and spitting on another.
“He’s a danger to himself and the public,” the constable contended.
Defence barrister Turlough Madden acknowledged his client’s “difficulties”, but argued that he still has family support.
But refusing bail, District Judge George Conner said: “I’m afraid there is too high a risk of further offences being committed.”
He remanded Scott in custody to appear again by video-link in four weeks time.
