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A 32-YEAR-OLD man has been accused of stealing a telehandler worth £49,000 before allegedly causing damage to a hedge in Dromore.
Klaudijus Novikovas appeared before Omagh Magistrates Court on Tuesday facing charges including theft, driving while disqualified and aggravated vehicle taking causing damage.
The charges relate to an incident on August 17 last year, when Novikovas is alleged to have taken a telehandler and driven it along the Lakemount Road in Dromore while disqualified, before damaging a hedge at a nearby property.
During a short preliminary enquiry, a lawyer for the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) told the court that, based on the submitted papers, the defendant had a case to answer.
District Judge Conor Heaney agreed, stating a prima facie case had been established.
Novikovas did not call any witnesses or give evidence at this stage. He was returned for arraignment at Dungannon Crown Court on March 24.
