Armagh thug Glen Flynn, with 183 convictions, was pinned to the ground by a crowd in his boxer shorts after an alleged burglary in Newry

Glen Flynn, 30, appeared at Lisburn Magistrates Court via video link from police custody and confirmed he understood the four charges against him, all of which stem from an incident on September 7 this year.

Flynn, who is originally from Armagh but now has an address on Dublin Road in Antrim, is charged with theft, burglary, disorderly conduct and assault and has given evidence in court.

The officer said police were opposing bail because there was a high risk of further offenses given Flynn had 183 previous convictions, including several relevant records.

Turning to the alleged facts of the case, he explained how a homeowner in Drumalane Park, Newry, responded to a knock on his door just after 11pm on Thursday evening, but when they opened the door to see who was there, Flynn pushed “past them.”

He went straight into the kitchen and rummaged through cupboards and drawers, “damaging several items”, including a television and a sink, which “flooded the floor”, and when confronted, punched the resident in the head.

The alleged victim went to raise the alarm and the court heard that when police arrived at the scene a large crowd had gathered outside the house and Flynn, wearing only a pair of soaking wet boxer shorts, was pinned to the ground by people who were gathering had gathered.

When he was taken into custody, a health card belonging to a woman in the house was “found in his boxers” and defense attorney Turlough Madden said given Flynn’s problems with drink and drugs, he had “no real memory” of the incident.

He stressed that there will “obviously be delays” in the case and that although Flynn has nearly 200 previous convictions, “the court could take a chance and grant him bail.”

“You did your best, but with a record like that I can’t let him out,” District Judge Anne Marshall told the barrister, “the risk of him re-offending is just too high.”

She remanded Flynn in custody and adjourned the case to September 27.