Newtownabbey man (22) is accused of arson of shed and industrial vehicles
A man is charged with arson of a shed and industrial vehicles and machinery in the Collin area between Ballymena and Ballyclare.
The 22-year-old is charged with arson of 'two industrial vehicles and machinery' belonging to a man on June 21.
The defendant – Ross Ferguson, whose address was listed as no fixed abode in Newtownabbey – is also charged with arson of a shed belonging to the man on June 22.
He is further charged with causing criminal damage to windows belonging to the man on June 22 and criminal damage to a vehicle belonging to the man on June 20.
Full details about the background to the case were not outlined to Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena on Tuesday.
He was given continuing bail and the case was adjourned to August 18.
In a press release in June police had said: “We received a report at around 2.05am this morning, Monday, 22nd June, of an ongoing break-in and a shed that contained machinery on fire in the Carnlea Road North area.
“Officers attended the scene, along with colleagues from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, who extinguished the fire.
“Two people were at home at the time and heard windows being smashed; however, there were no reports of any injuries. Some damage was caused to the house, with two windows to the rear of the property broken.
“While the homeowner was able to get some of the vehicles out of the shed, unfortunately, a number of others were destroyed in the fire. We’re subsequently treating this as arson, with our enquiries ongoing.
“This was the second arson attack in the area within a matter of hours, as we received a report at around 5.55pm on Sunday evening, 21st June of machinery on fire in the Carnlea Road North area.
“Officers attended the scene, along with colleagues from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, who extinguished the fire – believed to have been started at around 5.05pm.
“Unfortunately, of the three vehicles at the site, two were damaged by the attack, including a digger and an aggregate multi-screener.
“Criminal damage was also reported by the same party at around 2.25pm on Saturday, 20th June, after a car windscreen was smashed with a brick in the Templepatrick Road area of Doagh."