A former Stormont peace talks delegate with the loyalist Ulster Democratic Party has appeared at Belfast Magistrates' Court charged with aggravated burglary. Mr Tommy English (39) and two other men are accused of smashing their way into the Crow's Nest pub in Belfast city centre with a baseball bat last month. They are alleged to have damaged the bar and to have inflicted grievous bodily harm on Mr Michael Weatherup.
Mr English, from Ballyfore Gardens, and his co-accused, Mr Gordon William Davidson (26), Mountcollier Avenue, and Mr Paul Smyth (24), Limestone Road, were remanded in custody for a month.
An RUC detective said that when charged, separately, Mr English replied "Definitely not me", while the other two responded "Not guilty" and "Definitely not guilty".
In a statement last night the UDP said that Mr English was no longer one of its members.