A RESIDENT magistrate has set April 12th as the date on which guilty pleas will be heard at Craigavon Magistrates Court to charges alleging riotous behaviour outside Portadown on Sunday July 10th last year.
The resident magistrate, Mr Ken Nixon, at Craigavon court yesterday, said on that occasion dates will be fixed for dealing with those cases where the charges are being contested.
In all, 15 people are charged arising from incidents when Orangemen, after attending an annual service in Drumcree parish church, were prevented from returning to Portadown town centre along Garvaghy Road in a nationalist area.
The confrontation lasted until the following Tuesday morning when the ban was lifted and the parade was allowed to proceed back to the town centre along the controversial route.