Ballymena teen among four charged over June disorder as PSNI arrest total hits 41

Two individuals from Ballymena, including a 16-year-old boy and a 21-year-old man, have been charged with riot in connection with disorder in the town on 9th June, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has confirmed.

The two appeared before Ballymena Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 26th June, as part of a broader PSNI investigation into recent racially-motivated disorder across parts of Northern Ireland.

The arrests form part of the ongoing efforts by the PSNI’s Public Order Enquiry Team, which has now arrested 41 individuals to date in relation to the disturbances.

A 19-year-old man has also been charged with riot and is expected to appear before Coleraine Magistrates’ Court today, Friday 27th June.

Meanwhile, a 50-year-old woman arrested in Portadown has been charged with four offences, including intentionally encouraging riot and incitement to commit criminal damage. She is due to appear at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on 23rd July.

A PSNI spokesperson confirmed:

“As is usual procedure, all charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.”

Public asked to help identify individuals

As part of the investigation, police have released images of individuals they wish to identify and speak with. These are available on the PSNI’s Operation Exposure page.

Police are appealing to the public for assistance:

“If you are able to identify any of the people shown in these images or can provide information about them you should contact police on 101.”

Members of the public can also upload CCTV, mobile, or dash cam footage related to the disorder via the Major Incident Public Portal.

Context: Racially-motivated disorder under scrutiny

The wave of charges comes amid a wider police investigation into racially-motivated unrest which erupted in early June. Ballymena, Coleraine, and Portadown have all seen a series of arrests and court proceedings as part of the crackdown.

The PSNI have made it clear that their enquiry is active and ongoing, with further arrests possible as they continue to assess evidence from the public and analyse footage.