A MAN FACING attempted murder charges after an arson attack on a busy bar in Northern Ireland allegedly shouted “trick or treat” before throwing a lit petrol bomb directly at two people inside, a court has heard.

John Patrick Nixon (38) appeared before a district judge in Newry, Co Down today accused of two counts of attempted murder in relation to the incident in Armagh city on the evening of 18 August. 

Nixon, who spoke briefly to confirm his name, date of birth and that he understood the charges, is also charged with several other offences alleged to have been committed on the same day, including criminal damage to property and a vehicle elsewhere in Armagh earlier that evening.

No defence application for bail was made at the remand hearing in Newry Magistrates’ Court and Nixon, who is from Irish Street in Armagh, was remanded into custody to appear before a judge again next month.

During the hearing, a detective constable told the court that the Toby Jug bar on Irish Street had a significant number of people inside, including children, when the attack unfolded shortly before 9pm.

Customers were watching a football match on TV and traditional music was also being played when the incident occurred, the court heard.

“Police attended and spoke with victims and witnesses who stated that a male entered the pub, shouted ‘trick or treat’ and then threw a lit petrol bomb directly towards two people in the bar,” the officer said.

Two men, one aged in his 30s and one in his 60s, were taken to hospital with burn injuries described in court as “significant”.

The detective constable told the court that CCTV from outside the bar showed a man taking something from a plastic bag, walking across the road, then lighting a rag protruding from a bottle.

He said the CCTV showed a flash and orange flames and glow of fire coming through the doorway of the pub shortly after the man walked inside.

“The male suspect walks calmly out of the bar, walks across the street whilst removing an item from the waistband of his trousers,” he added.

“As a number of children and an adult came running out of the bar, he brandishes this item, which appears to be a large knife.”

District judge Eamonn King was told that Nixon was arrested later that evening at an address on Chapel Lane in Armagh. The court heard that a petrol bomb and a plastic bag containing a knife were located at the same property.

The detective constable said officers had also obtained CCTV footage from a local filling station at around 7.50pm that evening that allegedly shows the accused filling up a plastic bottle with £2.03p worth of petrol.

As well as two counts of attempted murder, Nixon is also charged with arson with intent to endanger life; possession of a knife in a public place; and three counts of criminal damage.

The criminal damage charges relate to incidents on the Keady Road in Armagh in the early evening of Monday.

At around 5.30pm, police received a report that a brick had been thrown through the window of a home on the road and the window of a car had been smashed at the same property.

A short time later, another 999 call was made reporting that a brick had been thrown through the kitchen window of another property nearby.

CCTV from the area showed a bald man wearing dark clothing walking up the drive of one of the properties at the time.

The detective constable told the court that a local resident had identified the male in the CCTV as Nixon.

The officer said detectives had established that the description of the male who had caused the damage to the windows matched that of the male who had thrown the petrol bomb.

The court was also told that Nixon made no reply to questions asked by detectives while in police custody.

He will appear before Armagh Magistrates’ Court on 2 September via video-link.