Children in bar where petrol bomb was thrown, court told

The road had been closed but has since reopened

A man charged with two counts of attempted murder allegedly shouted "trick or treat" before throwing a petrol bomb into a pub in County Armagh, a court has been told.

John Patrick Nixon, 38, from Irish Street in the city has also been charged with arson with intent to endanger life, possession of a blade or point, and three counts of criminal damage.

He appeared before Newry Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, where he spoke to confirm his name, date of birth and that he understood the charges against him.

He was charged after a petrol bomb attack at the The Toby Jug pub on Monday night.

The court was told Mr Nixon entered the pub, shouted "trick or treat" and threw a lit petrol bomb directly at two people in the bar.

A detective told the court there were other people in the bar, including children, watching a football match and listening to traditional music.

He said two casualties with significant burn injuries were reported.

The detective added that the incident was captured on CCTV.

He said the footage showed a male suspect walking up Irish Street with a plastic bag and removing something from it.

He could then be seen walking towards the pub with a bottle with a rag in it in his hand and lighting it, before fire could be seen coming from the doorway.

The detective described how the suspect could then be seen walking "calmly" from the bar and across the street while removing something from his waistband.

As people left the bar, the suspect was seen brandishing the item, which appeared to be a large knife.

Smashed windows

The court heard that prior to the attack on the pub, the suspect was accused of smashing a number of windows at separate addresses, as well as the windscreen of a vehicle.

The detective told the court there was further CCTV footage of the suspect earlier in the evening at a local filling station where he could be seen putting just over £2's worth of petrol into what appeared to be a water bottle.

Mr Nixon stood in the dock handcuffed and dressed in a grey prison tracksuit.

When he was asked if he understood the charges against him he replied: "I do indeed yeah."

No application for bail was made and Mr Nixon was remanded into police custody.

The judge confirmed he would reappear before Armagh Court on 2 September.