A man was attacked with acid in east Belfast as part of a suspected dispute among members of the Polish community, a court heard on Tuesday.
Corrosive liquid was thrown over the victim after five men got out of a car and chased him towards a house at Sunwich Street.
Details emerged as one of those accused of targeting him was refused permission to leave Northern Ireland for a family holiday.
Pawel Lesniewski (41) of Beersbridge Road in the city, is currently on bail charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent and criminal damage to the injured party’s car.
The victim, aged in his twenties, is believed to have been permanently scarred in the attack on August 5 last year.
Prosecutors previously claimed he was followed as he drove an Audi A6 to a property in the area.
When he stopped the car a group of men got out of another vehicle, with one of them throwing acid at him.
He suffered burns to his face, neck and torso which required skin graft surgery.
One of the windows in his car was also smashed with a metal bar during the incident.
The attackers, all thought to be foreign nationals, left the scene threatening to come back with “a crew from Dublin”, it was claimed.
Lesniewski is not suspected of throwing the acid but was charged as part of an alleged joint enterprise.
He denies any involvement in the attack and has been on bail since last September.
At Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday police opposed his application to vary the terms of his release for a holiday in August.
A detective expressed concerns that he may flee if allowed to go abroad.
Referring to the attack, she said: “A motive has yet to be established…. But it’s within the Polish community.
“Five males got out of a car before the injured party was assaulted, acid was thrown over him twice.”
Police are still attempting to locate the other four men allegedly involved.
The detective accepted Lesniewski “did not engage in the behaviour” but insisted he had been among those in the vehicle.
Defence solicitor Brendan Blaney told the court his client only went out to get food and may even have been asleep in the back of the car.
Disputing claims that Lesniewski could try to abscond, Mr Blaney argued he had voluntarily handed himself in to police.
“He has community ties in Belfast, having lived and worked here for the last nine years,” the lawyer added.
But refusing the application, District Judge Austin Kennedy stated: “I’m going to err on the side of caution because the others allegedly involved in this have not been arrested by police.”