A 15-YEAR-OLD boy charged with attempted murder allegedly claimed to be a member of the UDA after going to the home of a "vulnerable" youth, a court has been told.
The defendant, who cannot be named because of his age, faces a total of eight charges including possession of a knife with intent relating to an incident in Limavady in the early hours of Thursday.
Also in court in Coleraine yesterday was a co-accused, Padraig Brolly (18), whose address was given as Rosseden Drive, Limavady.
Brolly, who was denied bail, faces five charges including attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of a hatchet with intent to commit criminal damage.
A police officer said that at 3.15am on December 28 the two accused approached the rear of a house where a woman and her 18-year-old son who has "learning difficulties and is classed as vulnerable" were inside.
The officer said the woman said the 15-year-old "proclaimed to be a member of the UDA and that her son was a drug dealer and had to get out".
She also alleged Brolly was waving what looked like a foot-long hatchet "around his head" and used it to damage a fence post.
The policeman said the 18-year-old then ran outside and his mother claimed she saw the 15-year-old "thrusting an object twice towards the chest of her son".
The officer told the court that "luckily enough there was no major injury" but damage was caused to a coat and marks were left on his chest.
The 15-year-old was remanded into custody for 14 days after the judge warned him that he could be sentenced for contempt of court for comments made during the hearing.
"Go ahead, give me a sentence, Rathgael is a holiday camp," the teenager told him.
The pair are due to reappear via videolink on January 22.
