A 35-year-old Coalisland man was refused bail after Enniskillen Magistrates Court heard a suspected feud was behind a petrol bomb attack on an apartment in the Platers Hill area. Eamon McElkenny, of Maplebrook Court, is charged with arson endangering life by damaging property with a petrol bomb on 13 August.

Police were called to the scene that night and found a small fire on the footpath outside a ground floor apartment. A window was damaged and glass lay smashed on the ground. A witness reported seeing a man and woman in a rear car park; the man walked along a pathway, lit an object and threw it in front of the apartment window.

Officers located McElkenny and a woman nearby and found a lighter in his pocket. He was arrested and gave no comment in interview. A black hoodie found during a search of the area was sent for forensic analysis for accelerants.

Objecting to bail, a police officer told the court the defendant has 106 previous convictions, including eight for criminal damage, a firearms offence and possession of offensive weapons. He was on bail for an incident in Coalisland in which he was arrested and allegedly found with two shotgun cartridges.

Police said there are concerns about ongoing feuding between McElkenny and another person, and an alleged incident in another part of Coalisland two days earlier had resulted in bail. Officers cited a risk of further offending and reprisals.

A defence barrister said McElkenny and his partner were stopped a short distance and time after the incident and released following a search. No forensic link currently connects him to the case, and no statements had been taken from the apartment owner or other residents. A member of the public contacted police the next day with a description.

Deputy District Judge Austin Kennedy noted the defendant's record, his bail status for possessing shotgun cartridges and the suggestion of feuding in the area. He refused bail, citing a concern that McElkenny would continue to reoffend. McElkenny is due to appear by video link at Dungannon Magistrates Court on 2 September.