A 39-year-old man has been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with riotous assembly in connection with public disorder in Newtownabbey last week.

Andrew Kane, of Carntall Way, Newtownabbey, is accused of attacking police lines on Station Road near Cloughfern Roundabout on June 9. Belfast Magistrates' Court heard that more than 100 people gathered in the area, with some forming a blockade and many actively rioting.

Police alleged that Kane, a warehouse operative and forklift driver with no previous convictions, repeatedly approached officers and threw masonry. He was identified at the scene by his red beard and a Northern Ireland hoodie, the court was told.

District Judge Peter Magill, refusing bail, recounted how officers later located Kane urinating on a fence as the disorder subsided. The judge noted that footage of the alleged actions was captured by evidence-gathering cameras.

The court heard that the disturbances took place after a serious knife attack in north Belfast the night before. A 30-year-old man remains in custody charged with attempting to murder Stephen Ogilvie in that incident.

An investigating officer opposed bail, stating that police had evidence linking Kane to serious racially aggravated public disorder and that there was a risk of further offending.

Defence counsel said the experience of being in custody for the past week had been profoundly difficult for his client, who had never been in prison before. But Judge Magill remarked that the alleged involvement showed how otherwise law-abiding citizens can become caught up in appalling unrest.

"I could not be sure he would not do exactly the same again if there was another flare-up," the judge said.