Fan accused of Showgrounds pitch invasion

An alleged pitch invader at an Irish Cup quarter-final, who is also accused of assaulting police, appeared in the dock at Coleraine Magistrates Court on Monday.

Ryan McNab (27), of Birch Drive, Bangor - understood to be a Glentoran fan - faces charges in relation to the game between Coleraine and Glentoran, which the home side won 1-0, on Tuesday March 13 this year at Coleraine Showgrounds.

The first charge alleges the defendant ‘without lawful authority or lawful excuse, during the period of a regulated match, went onto the playing area, or an area adjacent to the playing area, to which spectators are not generally admitted’.

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On the same date, McNab is also accused of assaulting two police officers and resisting a third officer in the execution of his duty.

A police officer told the court she believed she could connect the accused to the charges and the defendant confirmed he understood the charges. No further details were given to the court relating to the alleged circumstances surrounding the charges.

The police officer asked for police bail conditions to be converted to court bail.

District Judge Peter King released the defendant on his own bail of £500 with conditions banning him from entering ‘any football grounds for any game of football, regulated or not, for which a fee is to be paid’.

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McNab must also not be ‘within a mile’ of any ongoing regulated football match’ and he is also barred from entering Coleraine Showgrounds.

He must not be intoxicated in any public place and must submit to a preliminary breath test if required to do so at any time by the PSNI and must not blow over the equivalent of the statutory drink drive alcohol in breath limit.

The case was adjourned to the end of April.

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