Newtownards Magistrates Court also heard claims accused “luring” children towards him before threatening them with knives
A homeless man held a sword to his own throat and allegedly made a threatening gesture to a Bangor taxi driver, a court heard on Friday.
Newtownards Magistrates Court also heard claims that Soulaiman Diallo had been “luring” children towards him and then threatening them with knives.
Appearing in the dock flanked by prison officers, Diallo, who turns 21 on Saturday, was charged with possessing a weapon, namely a “large stick” on Bangor High Street and making a threat to kill on 14 August this year.
While Diallo, listed as no fixed abode, Bangor, confirmed he understood the two charges against him, a prison officer told the court the 20-year-old “has refused to engage with us all morning”.
Giving evidence during a contested application for bail, a police officer outlined that just after 7am on Thursday morning, staff from a Bangor taxi firm reported to police “that a driver had just seen the defendant with a sword about 12 inches long”.
Following a description being circulated, Diallo “was detained a short distance away” but despite searches of both his person and the route he took away from the taxi offices, the sword has not been recovered. The constable told the court however, city centre CCTV footage “shows the defendant holding a sword”.
Officers spoke to taxi staff who described how Diallo had been sleeping in their offices and when he was told to move on, he became abusive. Out in the street, he is alleged to have produced the sword from inside his jacket and looking at the taxi driver, he “held it to his own neck and made a cutting motion” with the blade. The driver, the officer told the court, “believed that was a threat to kill”.
Turning to police objections, she revealed that “in the last 13 days, there have been nine reports to police about this defendant,” adding that some of the reports related to allegations that having called children over to him, he “brandished a knife” to scare them away.
Other reports related to Diallo allegedly chasing two men with a knife and that members of the public are avoiding Castle carpark where the 20-year-old has been sleeping rough and has been “hanging his clothes out on the trees as a makeshift washing line”.
“People are scared to walk past as they have seen posts on Facebook about this male having weapons,” said the officer.
Being aware of his situation, she said colleagues had “taken him to the Welcome Centre and to the Housing Executive to get him an address but he refused to cooperate and continued to sleep rough”.
Highlighting police concerns about further offending and a risk to public safety, the constable said Diallo has “no ties whatsoever” to NI so he was also a flight risk.
“We believe a remand is necessary to protect children and local vulnerable people,” the officer concluded.
Mr Johnson conceded that although he had no bail address to put before the court, Diallo could be granted bail subject to obtaining an approved address.
“This man has clearly suffered a significant breakdown in his mental health,” said the barrister, accepting that Diallo’s alleged behaviour “has caused outrage in the community”.
He suggested the 20-year-old could be barred from Bangor “or even the entirety of North Down” and he could also surrender his passport.
District Judge Amanda Brady told the court given the nature of the offences, “a man in possession of a sword, on Bangor High Street and making threats to kill,” it was her view that “the police objections are well-founded”.
“I am not granting him bail,” the judge ruled and remanding Diallo into custody, she adjourned the case to 3 September.
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