Man ‘jumped off roof after hurling glass at the police’

A MAN threw masonry and shards of glass at police from a rooftop in north Belfast before plunging to the ground, a court was told yesterday.

Colm Mcclenaghan (29) is accused of hurling tiles and chimney pieces broken off the Oldpark Road property amid attempts to negotiate with him to come down.

A number of vehicles were damaged during the stand-off on September 20, which lasted several hours.

Mcclenaghan, of Donegall Road, appeared at Belfast Magistrates Court on a total of 45 charges connected to the incident at a relative’s home.

They include attempted grievous bodily harm with intent, disorderly behaviour, affray, causing a dangerous article to be on a road and criminal damage.

He faces five further counts of possessing an offensive weapon with intent and eight count of assaulting police.

The court heard officers went to the address after receiving a report about an aggressive man.

It was claimed that Mcclenaghan climbed out a back window and onto a roof, threatening that he would kill himself.

As efforts were made to get him to come down, the defendant allegedly threw his shoe and spat at officers.

A PSNI constable said McClenaghan armed himself with tiles, smashed a window and made superficial cuts to his neck.

“He forcibly threw shards of glass at police, narrowly missing them,” the officer claimed.

Judge Laura Ievers was told Mcclenaghan scaled a third-storey roof, ripping up guttering and hurling abuse as people gathered below to watch.

“He broke up chimneys and threw them out the front and back of the property at police and vehicles,” the constable continued.

One officer was allegedly struck on the arm by a piece of tiling.

The court was told Mcclenaghan then leapt across to another roof, armed himself with nails and began to make a shadow punching gesture.

“He wouldn’t engage with the police negotiators and then jumped off the roof, falling onto a seven-foot hedge separating gardens,” the constable said.

Mcclenaghan was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital for treatment to his injuries.

Defence solicitor Joe Mcveigh argued that his client required psychiatric care, which may not be readily available within a prison setting.

Adjourning the bail application for a week, Judge Ievers said information on a possible care package was required.