The grieving parents of a west Belfast man beaten to death more than two years ago were put into the cells at a court and fined £100 for what a judge said was “wilful disruption” of the proceedings.
At Craigavon Magistrates Court, Lee Smyth, who turned 21 yesterday, appeared at Court via videolink to successfully apply for bail.
Smyth, from Colinbrook Gardens in Dunmurry, was in custody accused of the murder of Christopher Meli on 12 December 2015.
Two other men, Caolan Laverty (18) and 20-year-old and Stephen McCann, both from west Belfast, are jointly charged with the murder.
The body of 20-year-old, father-of-one Mr Meli was discovered on a pathway in the Glasvey Close area of Twinbrook after he had been beaten to death and detectives believe up to 20 people were involved in a number of violent incidents that ended in the murder on grassland known as Doc's Lane, in the early hours of Saturday December 12.
During Smyth’s bail application, his alleged victim’s parents Christopher and Vanessa Burke initially stood at the side of the public seating area with police officers alongside
District Judge Bernie Kelly asked them to sit down and they did.
When Smyth was granted bail on condition that he provides a suitable bail address, Mr Meli got up and called him a scumbag while Mrs Meli said “you murdered by son” and “you want to see what you done to my family.”
The pair left the courtroom but Judge Kelly asked for them to be brought back and taken down to the cells, asking for one of the local solicitors to go down and consult with them.
Around 39 minutes later, on, the couple were brought from the cells back into the dock.
Judge Kelly said it was quite obvious there was a bit of needling going on when they had ben asked to take their seats and that “foul and abusive language” had been used.
“I do understand the situation but nobody should have to listen to an abusive tirade,” she told the pair.
The judge also warned them that the case was going to take a while and if they continued to behave like this every time the case is in court they were going to end up in the cells.
She ruled there had been a wilful disruption of the court but said she would limit the sentence to a fine in each case.
“If you repeat this you will end up in custody,” warned the judge .
Both were fined £100 each and ordered to pay a £15 offender’s levy
Judge Kelly said she would allow 12 weeks to pay and if not paid in that time, they could face seven days in custody.
