Men accused of burglaries are in custody

Men accused of burglaries are in custody

14 January 2015

TWO men have appeared in court accused of being part of a gang that carried out a series of burglaries across Down last week.

Stephen Collins, of Carnalroe Road, Ballyward, and Malachy Kennedy, of Thornlea Grove, Seaforde, both 23, were charged with seven counts of burglary when they appeared at Downpatrick Court on Thursday.

The offences are alleged to have occurred on January 5 at hair salons in Comber and Dromara, a hockey club in Hillsborough, a private house in Ballynahinch, two shops in Dundrum, from one of which £1800 worth of cigarettes and scratch cards were stolen, and the Mourne Seafood in Dundrum, where eight bottles of spirits were taken.

In a separate incident they are accused of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on December 6. Kennedy is also accused of possessing cannabis and diazepam.

A prosecutor said he believed the burglary charges to be linked to “a criminal gang involved in large scale burglaries”.

A detective constable said the arrests came after a significant police operation which involved tracking a suspicious vehicle across the county and the use of CCTV. He said the incident came to a head in Keady, Co Armagh.

In an unsuccessful application for bail, Kennedy’s solicitor pointed out that a third man charged in connection with the offences had been released on bail.

“This is a man with no criminal convictions,” the solicitor said.

Objecting to bail, the detective said he had concerns over a number of suspicious items found at Kennedy’s home, including a bobble hat and scratch cards.

He also said the victim of the alleged assault on December 6 had described it as an unprovoked attack.

District Judge Greg McCourt said he was similarly concerned at items found in Kennedy’s house.

“I believe if you were released on bail you could and would reoffend,” he said.

Both men were remanded in custody.