A CO Antrim man, who is allegedly part of an organised crime gang which stole an ATM containing almost £60,000, was granted bail.
David McClurkin (23) appeared via videolink at Antrim Magistrates Court where District Judge Nigel Broderick heard the case against him “is on all fours” against a co-accused already freed on bail.
McClurkin, from Craighill in Antrim, faces three charges arising from an incident at a garage on Nutts Corner on 30 April this year, including the theft of an ATM, criminal damage to the Costcutters shop where it was ripped from the wall and arson of the stolen digger used to carry out the theft.
A co-accused, 21-year-old Patrick Close from Camlin Park in Crumlin, was freed in High Court bail a few weeks ago. A third man allegedly involved, Lee Wilson (31) from Benview Drive in Belfast, remains in custody.
As well as being accused of stealing the ATM which contained £59,090, Close and Wilson are also accused of the theft of the Hitachi excavator used to smash the ATM from the wall and aggravated car theft relating to a blue Land Rover Defender.
Wilson is further accused of driving the stolen Land Rover without a licence and without insurance.
Previous courts have heard police evidence that at around 3.30am, the Hitachi digger was stolen from a nearby field before being used to steal the ATM and drop it into the jeep.
That jeep had been stolen from a property on Flush Road and its roof cut open said the officer, adding that four people were involved in the smash and grab.
Shortly after the ATM was stolen, the jeep crashed into a hedgerow on the Lylehill Road and a balaclava-wearing Wilson was arrested, it was claimed.
Close on the other hand, was not arrested until the following day, at a house close to where the jeep had been stolen from.
The detective said the police believe Close got into the stolen jeep “at some stage” before the incident and that he is seen on CCTV footage getting out of it at the Tully Road Costcutters.
During police questioning, Wilson made full admissions, telling officers he was “pressurised” into becoming involved but apart from confirming that a seized mobile phone belonged to him, Close refused to answer police questions.
According to the prosecution case, cell site analysis places Close’s mobile phone “no more than 100 metres from the service station” when the ATM was ripped from the wall.
Judge Broderick freed McClurkin on his own bail of £500 with a surety of £1,000 subject to a number of restrictions.
Wilson is due to appear again on August 27 via videolink and all three will appear on September 24.
