A schoolboy accused of being at the centre of racist rioting in Belfast was allegedly encouraged and filmed by his mother, the Northern Ireland High Court heard on Wednesday.
Prosecutors claimed the woman tried to hide her 15-year-old son’s identity as he took part in disorder on the city’s streets.
Details emerged as the youth, who cannot be named because of his age, was granted bail on charges of taking part in four separate nights of unrest.
He is accused of petrol bomb attacks on police in July and then targeting a Muslim-owned cafe when violence flared after an anti-immigration protest earlier this month.
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Boy (15) accused of involvement in Belfast rioting encouraged and filmed by mother, court hears
Crown counsel Fiona O’Kane disclosed that the boy’s mother is also being prosecuted on suspicion of participating and prompting him.
“She was seen on camera assisting and encouraging him by both filming him and facilitating his attempts to hide his identity by pulling up his hood,” the barrister said.
The teenager faces a total of 12 charges, including four counts of riot, possessing and throwing a petrol bomb, causing an explosion with a firework, and having offensive weapons and paint with intent to cause damage to property.
Some of the offences were allegedly aggravated by racial hatred.
It was claimed he first attacked PSNI lines when disorder first broke out at Broadway Roundabout in south Belfast on July 15th.
The schoolboy was also identified as allegedly participating in racially-motivated street disturbances on August 3rd and 5th.
Mr Justice McFarland was told footage posted on social media showed him throwing items at windows and kicking the door of a Muslim-owned cafe in the Sandy Row area.
He then approached the premises with a cylindrical object before the camera briefly pointed to a different incident.
“When it panned back to the applicant a short time later his hand was empty and the cafe was ablaze with fireworks exploding in it,” Mrs O’Kane said.
Two days later he allegedly formed part of a crowd who attempted to push back PSNI officers protecting the Islamic Centre on University Road, again throwing bottles and masonry at the police lines.
During interviews the youth denied involvement in any of the rioting and claimed he was only present at Broadway Roundabout in July to watch the events.
Police and the prosecution mounted a High Court appeal after a magistrate initially granted bail to the teenage defendant.
The judge banned him from accessing the internet or entering Belfast except to attend school as part of strict conditions.
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