A man accused of stabbing a senior loyalist outside a packed supermarket in north Belfast has made a full and frank admission to his role in the incident, a court heard today.
David Madine (40), who is charged with the attempted murder of leading UVF figure Harry Stockman, has also asked for his apologies to be passed to customers and staff for the “unsavoury and violent” scene at the Tesco store on the Ballygomartin Road, his lawyer told Belfast Magistrates’ Court.
Madine, from Innishargie Gardens in Bangor, shouted and swore from the dock during his brief appearance, branding 50-year-old Mr Stockman a “f****** tout”.
He is accused of repeatedly stabbing the loyalist at the supermarket in front of stunned shoppers at about 4.30pm yesterday afternoon.
Mr Stockman is in a stable condition in hospital after undergoing emergency surgery last night.
With a heavy police presence both in and outside court, Mr Madine smiled and acknowledged supporters in the public gallery as he was led from the cells into the dock.
Applying for bail, his lawyer, Denis Moloney, told district judge Fiona Bagnall that the incident was not pre-meditated.
“He did make it abundantly clear there was nothing pre-meditated, this was a chance encounter,” he said.
“This was a chance encounter, a most regrettable incident and the defendant was most full and frank to the authorities.”
But a senior police officer expressed strong objections to bail, arguing there was a serious risk to the safety of both the defendant and his family.
"The injured party would be, it's fair to say a prominent senior loyalist within the Shankill Road area," said the policeman.
At this point Mr Madine shouted from the dock: "He’s a f****** tout, that's what he is."
Judge Bagnall ordered him to be quiet and said if he continued to disrupt proceedings he would be taken back to the cells and the hearing would continue in his absence.
Mr Madine again responded: "What are you going to give me? Another 20 days?"
The officer said he feared there would also be a risk to public safety if the
defendant was bailed and revealed a number of people had already moved from the
Shankill area in the wake of the attack.
Earlier the accused had interrupted his own lawyer to correct the pronunciation of his name.
Mr Moloney had asked the police officer to confirm that his client had cooperated fully.
"He has made a full and frank and open admission with regard to his involvement in this matter," said the lawyer.
The officer agreed that Mr Madine had answered all questions put to him and co-operated throughout the police interview, subsequent to his arrest on Twaddell Avenue, near the Shankill, shortly after the attack.
Mr Moloney told the court that his client also wanted to say sorry to those who witnessed the incident.
"He sincerely apologised to staff and customers at Tesco yesterday for what was a most violent and unsavoury incident that arose," he said.
Judge Bagnall refused to grant bail and remanded the accused in custody to appear again on May 19th.
Reuters