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A STRABANE man with 119 previous convictions has been denied bail after he was accused of threatening people in their home with a stick covered in nails, stealing their car, and later crashing it.
Mark Loughrey (36), whose address was given as no fixed abode, Strabane, appeared before at Omagh Magistrates Court via video link from Maghaberry Prison, where he is currently on remand.
He faces a number of charges arising from the same incident on July 20 last year, including aggravated burglary with intent to steal; using a motor vehicle without insurance or a driving licence; aggravated vehicle taking causing damage; driving while unfit through drink or drugs; failing to provide a specimen of breath for a preliminary test and a further specimen while unfit to drive; driving while disqualified; failing to stop, remain at, or report an accident; and criminal damage.
At Tuesday’s court sitting, Loughrey’s solicitor applied for bail, telling the court that their client had already spent the equivalent of a one-year sentence in custody.
The court heard that bail had previously been refused by the High Court in Belfast in November of last year.
During a lengthy bail hearing, a police officer said that on the night of July 20, Loughrey had been involved in a road traffic collision. Following the incident, he allegedly targeted a nearby house in the Hospital Road area and broke into it. The residents were reportedly in the home at the time, including a young child.
Police allege that the defendant threatened the occupants with a stick containing several nails and demanded the keys to their car. He then drove off in the vehicle before later crashing it into a traffic island on the Drumnakilly Road.
He was subsequently apprehended by police after a short foot chase. Officers later recovered the stick with nails from inside the vehicle.
The court also heard that while being held in a police cell, Loughrey allegedly kicked the cell door and spat inside it. He further refused to provide samples to determine whether he had been under the influence of drink or drugs at the time of the incident.
The Public Prosecution Service revealed that Loughrey had been released from prison only in May, just a couple of months before the alleged offences occurred. A police officer said bail was opposed due to concerns about the risk of reoffending, describing Loughrey as a “prolific offender”.
In response, Loughrey’s defence said their client had addiction issues but had been working to get them under control while in custody. The court was also told that the proposed bail address had offered him employment.
However, District Judge Heaney refused bail, citing the seriousness of the charges and the risk of further offending, stating that bail conditions could not adequately manage those risks.
Loughrey is due to appear again via video link at Omagh Magistrates Court on February 17.
