A Belfast street preacher has been found guilty of body slamming an immigrant to the ground during an altercation that took place last June.
The 61-year-old preacher and former Ulster Unionist political candidate appeared before the Belfast Magistrates Court on Wednesday on account of three charges including assault, disorderly behaviour and resisting police order, according to the Irish Independent.
Colin Houston was found guilty of the charges and sentenced to “five months in prison suspended for three years”, the outlet reported.
Houston reportedly denied the claims, claiming that the alleged victim, Saied Nemeti, had approached him and two others aggressively, following previous heated exchanges between the two in the months preceding.
Mr Nemeti, who was visibly upset, denied these allegations, stating that while he had called the defendant “a crazy man” and told him to see “a doctor”, he had at no point attacked the defendant, which the “evidence [would] show”.
A PSNI officer had reportedly attempted to arrest the two individuals following reports of a disagreement, but Houston had resisted attempts, the court was told.
According to prosecutors, Mr Nemeti had originally walked away, however Houston, who had taken offence to a comment made regarding his MAGA (Make America Great Again) cap, called Mr Nemeti back, reopening the dispute.
The altercation resulted in Houston “body slamming” Mr. Nemeti to the ground, in what he called "citizens arrest". The court found these justifications to be baseless.
Judge Marshall additionally referenced Houston’s hat during the proceedings, asking whether it was not “more of a political…than religious hat”, to which the preacher rebutted, “was Jesus not political?”
Houston has received a five-month sentence, with Judge Marshall stating she had “no hesitation” in reaching the verdict. According to the court, the preacher had already received 43 prior convictions.