Trio accused of going on a shop-lifting spree in Omagh stores

A 29-YEAR-OLD man accused of going on a shop-lifting spree in Omagh has been released on bail despite objections from police.

Jamie Starkey of Victoria Grove, Armagh, was released following a hearing at Dungannon Magistrates Court.

Starkey, who has served the equivalent of 11 months in custody, is one of three co-accused in the alleged joint enterprise theft.

A police detective detailed to the court that on May 24 two men and a woman in a green dress were allegedly seen walking into the Omagh Homebase store and placing three Stanley drills, valued at nearly £600, into a purple suitcase.

They were said to have left the shop without paying and proceeded to walk towards B&M Bargains in the same retail site.

Similarly, they allegedly stole a LED projector from B&M, leaving without paying.

A report was made to police around 20 minutes later and when officers arrived, they saw a silver car matching the report description on the Great Northern Road.

The officers pulled in front of the car and activated their sirens for it to stop.

However, after one officer left his vehicle, he noticed the woman say something to the passenger before the suspect car drove around the police car, narrowly missing the constable and other motorists.

Shortly thereafter, a report was made that a car had been abandoned in New Brighton Terrace in Omagh.

This vehicle was found to contain the stolen goods.

A phone was also found in the car with the defendant’s father’s number in the contacts.

Police objected to releasing Starkey on bail citing his 132 previous convictions.

An officer told the court that the 29-year-old had been granted High Court bail, which he has since breached five times.

He added that there were a further 34 breaches of court bail on Starkey’s record.

Defence counsel Seamus Lannon informed the court that when Starkey was in his late teens he was a victim of a ‘savage assault’, which resulted in the defendant needing brain surgery.

He explained that since the assault Starkey has found himself ‘vulnerable’ and is ‘easily led’.

District Judge Francis Rafferty said that the repetition of bail breaches were ‘myriad’ but noted the significant time spent in custody.

Considering the length of time before a joint enterprise committal to the Crown Court, Judge Rafferty released Starkey on his own bail of £250, with a surety from his father of £500.

Added to his bail were conditions not to consume any alcohol or drugs, and a curfew of 8pm to 7am.

Starkey will return to Dungannon Magistrates Court on January 3.