Bail refused for man charged with attack on pensioners

A 33-year-old man is alleged to have stolen a car during a shop robbery in Co Donegal on Thursday (December 15) evening and abandoned it in Castlederg before attacking pensioners in their home.

Mark Loughrey (listed as no fixed abode) appeared before a special sitting of Dungannon Magistrates Court this morning (Saturday).

He was charged with entering a house as a trespasser, assaulting the elderly male and female occupants, stealing car keys, taking a car without the owner’s consent, driving while unfit through drink or drugs and without insurance.

Loughrey was refused bail as District Judge Michael Ranaghan deemed him to pose a “genuine risk to the public”.

A Detective Constable told the court that shortly after 6pm on Thursday cash was stolen during a shop robbery in Castlefinn and the suspect, Loughrey had left the area in a red Citroen Berlingo.

The vehicle was abandoned in Castlederg and documents recovered from it bore his name.

He then allegedly entered a house, took keys for a Mitsubishi Shogun which he drove a short distance before getting it stuck in a field.

It is believed he then walked to a house in Killeter and entered by the rear door, where the seventy-four-year-old male occupant immediately recognised him.

He demanded the car keys but when these were refused, he forced his way into the kitchen and pushed the elderly man to the ground and punched twice to the face.

The injured party’s wife attempted to intervene and was punched to the side of the head.

The elderly man sustained facial injuries and his nose was bleeding while his wife had redness and swelling behind her ear.

He then took the keys of her Volkswagen Golf and drove off.

The couple’s son and son-in-law encountered Loughrey a short distance away after they were alerted to the situation.

They followed the Volkswagen Golf into a dead-end lane and Loughrey then “rammed” the men’s vehicle by reversing into it, in a bid to escape.

They detained the defendant and drove him back to the house in the Volkswagen as their own vehicle was rendered undriveable by the impact.

When arrested and searched the €500 cash, believed to have been stolen in Co Donegal, and keys to the jeep were recovered.

He made no comment during police interview.

Objecting to bail the detective said Loughery is already on bail for similar matters involving an alleged stolen vehicle in the Belfast area before it was recovered crashed in Draperstown.

Bail was objected to on the grounds of concerns of witness interference and further offending.

The court was told he has 97 previous convictions “many of which are relevant.”

A defence solicitor conceded his client’s previous record was problematic but urged bail to be granted with strict conditions to manage any risks.

Judge Ranaghan however refused stating, “The alleged offences are very serious involving assaults on two elderly people.

The defendant represents a genuine risk to the public and I have significant concerns.”

Loughrey will appear again by video-link at Strabane Magistrates Court next month.