Armoy sword youth breached bail

A 17-year-old charged with taking part in a gun and sword robbery at a County Antrim filling station shop breached his bail by being on the streets of Belfast with a balaclava and a lock knife as cops probed a car crime blitz.
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A police officer told a court in Coleraine on Monday the youth - who is from the Belfast area but cannot be named because of his age - was found to be in breach of a bail curfew by police investigating a series of suspected vehicle hijackings in Belfast.

A detective constable said the youth had breached bail ten days previously after being caught with articles at 10.30 at night in breach of a 9pm curfew.

The officer said the original charges related to a robbery of Bushview Filling Station at Magherahoney near Armoy in December when police received a report two masked raiders entered a shop “with a handgun and two swords”.

The officer said police later found a haul of cigarettes which they believed were stolen from the filling station shop.

The youth was appearing via video link whilst in custody and the officer opposed bail saying there was a high risk of re-offending as during the recent bail breach the youth was found to have had a balaclava, white socks and a lock-knife in his pocket.

A defence lawyer said there was “no tolerance of any tomfoolery” from the family of the teenager.

If the youth breaches his bail again, he said, the family would, as they have done in the past, contact the authorities.

District Judge Liam McNally refused bail in the case and the teenager was further remanded in custody to May 11.

A co-accused, Damien Moore (23), of Carlisle Road in Belfast’s New Lodge area , appeared at the same court and his case was also adjourned to May 11 as he was released on continuing bail.

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