A teenager has appeared in court accused of squirting a chemical liquid from a bottle on three people in two separate incidents – alleged to have taken place in the same location nine days apart.

Kyelan Conaty was remanded in custody after appearing at Suffolk Magistrates’ Court on Thursday following his arrest on Tuesday evening.

The 18-year-old has been charged with two counts of unlawfully and maliciously administering a poison, or other destructive or noxious thing, namely hydrogen peroxide, with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy.

The offences are alleged to have happened on July 12 and July 21 outside a precinct of shops in Bury St Edmunds.

Two other teens remain on bail in connection with both incidents.

Armed police were called shortly after 6.40pm on Tuesday, July 21, following reports that an unknown liquid had been thrown in the face of a man in his 20s in the car park at St Olaves Precinct on the town’s Howard estate.

The man was taken to hospital with minor injuries and was discharged the same evening.

Prosecutor Lesla Small said the alleged victim, who had been with his partner at the time, was left with brown marks around the eyelids, “consistent with being attacked with some form of acid”.

Three teenagers, aged 16, 17 and 18, were arrested that evening on suspicion of assault and questioned at Bury St Edmunds police investigation centre.

The 16 and 17-year-old boys were released on bail in connection with the two alleged offences and are due to return to police on August 5.

Conaty, of Elm Drive, Walsham-le-Willows, was charged with the two offences and remanded in custody to appear in court on Thursday.

The teenager appeared on video link from Bury St Edmunds police investigation centre.

He entered no plea to the indictable only charges, which cannot be dealt with by magistrates and must be heard in front of a judge at the crown court.

The second charge alleges that Conaty squirted a liquid on two females sitting inside a car parked at the same location at about 9.30pm on Sunday, July 12.

Magistrates sent the matter for a plea and trial preparation hearing at Ipswich Crown Court on Thursday, August 20.

The bench refused Conaty bail and remanded him in custody.