A trail of blood led police to the man accused of breaking into a neighbouring pensioner's home to steal £2,000, the High Court heard today.
Stewart Lundy was arrested after returning to the east Belfast apartment block hours after the cash raid at the 69-year-old man's Finmore Court flat on July 18, prosecutors said.
The 24-year-old defendant claims bloodstains at the scene were due to cutting himself while carrying paint tins for the victim.
Bail was refused due to the lack of any suitable address.
Lundy, previously of Mount Vernon Road in the city, is charged with burglary and possession of cannabis.
He allegedly stole the cash and a mop in the late-night break-in.
A bedroom window was smashed before the money was taken from a boiler cupboard, the court heard.
Crown lawyer Conor Maguire said the victim claimed a man he knows as Stewart from a neighbouring flat asked to borrow £20 earlier that day.
The pensioner told detectives he took a wad of cash from his boiler to lend the money.
"He said Stewart advised him to keep his doors and windows locked and then left with the £20," Mr Maguire continued.
"When police attended the property and were examining the scene they observed a trail of blood spots which led from (the victim's) flat to to the door of a flat in the same building... the address of this applicant's father."
Officers waited at the scene until Lundy arrived later that morning, allegedly trying to put £125 in bank notes into a cigarette packet.
Fresh cuts and dried blood were observed on his hand, while a mop was found inside his father's flat, the court heard.
Defence counsel Paul Bacon said his client accepted his blood was at the scene, but attributed it to a cut from the paint tins.
"He would say that he was in no way shape or form involved in the burglary," Mr Bacon added.
"His case is he has been wrongly accused and will be fighting this case."
But with no acceptable bail address being offered, Mr Justice Maguire ruled that Lundy must remain in custody.
