24 June 2009

Big Wheel Man Remanded

A 38-year-old man who climbed 200ft to the top of Belfast's big wheel has been refused bail.

Patrick Joyce, of no fixed abode, was in court today charged with disorderly behaviour after the Belfast Eye in the grounds of the City Hall was brought to a standstill when he scaled the structure.

Tourists were trapped in pods for more than three hours during Monday night's incident.

The man, a member of the Traveller community, was said to be engaged in a caravan protest over accommodation in front of City Hall

Belfast Magistrates court heard this morning that Mr Joyce had a grievance about his living conditions which had led him to climb the structure in protest.

Although a defence solicitor said he had been assured that the protest was now over and that the Housing Executive was attempting to address Mr Joyce's concerns, he was refused bail and remanded in custody until 29 June.

The accused was also charged with false imprisonment by unlawfully detaining the five people who were stuck on the wheel during the bizarre protest.

During the incident, the man, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, was eventually arrested after a specialist team of firefighters climbed up and got him back to ground level.

The minority Travellers community was also in the news today with a report just published showing that more and more people in Northern Ireland would "object to having Travellers as neighbours".

Half of the people questioned would mind a "little or a lot" having a Traveller as a neighbour, 10% more than in 2005.

The proportion opposed to gay people next door also increased.

The survey commissioned by the Equality Commission said that almost a quarter would also dislike living next door to a migrant worker or gay person.

(BMcC)