Burglar stole £6,000 worth of items including a cello from Presbyterian church, Ballymena court hears

Michael McKeown (36), of Kilnacolpagh Road at Aughafatten near Broughshane, stole televisions, laptops, a camcorder and a cello from Buckna Presbyterian Church in June this year.

He appeared, via video link from prison, at Ballymena Magistrates' Court, on Thursday, December 19.

A prosecutor said the church and a Sunday School outbuilding were burgled at 10pm on June 7. Items taken included a TVs, laptops, a camcorder and a cello worth a total of "£6,000" and they were not recovered.

The court was told the defendant's vehicle was nearby and his fingerprint was found at the scene.

He was also sentenced for other offences after he stole a car belonging to a pizza delivery worker on October this year.

He admitted aggravated taking of a vehicle; the theft of the woman's coat, bank card and mobile phone which were in the car; attempted use of the bank card; possession of pregabalin; driving whilst disqualified and absence of insurance.

On the night of October 23 this year, a pizza delivery worker was sitting in a Volkswagen Polo at Railway Street in Antrim town.

The defendant, who was wearing a "police custody style tracksuit", approached and handed her a bank card saying: "Excuse me have you dropped your card?"

The woman got out and followed him to the back of the car. The keys were in the vehicle and ignition was on. She had gone to take the card to her workplace and at that stage the defendant had driven off in her car, the prosecutor said.

There were personal items in the vehicle including an iPhone.

The car was later found crashed and damaged in the Carnlough area. The PSNI Air Support Unit had been used in the search.

The defendant was found with pregabalin.

A defence solicitor said the defendant had no previous record for "dishonesty".

Following the death of his brother in an accident in 2016, the lawyer said, the defendant developed a cocaine addiction and subsequently a pregabalin addiction and was stealing to pay off a "drug debt".

He said his client wishes to apologise for his offending.

The defendant, a joiner, hopes to move to England of further afield to get work, the court was told.

District Judge Nigel Broderick said they were serious matters and he said he was surprised prosecutors had not opted to prosecute the case in the Crown Court.

He said the pizza delivery driver incident happened when the defendant was on bail for the church break-in.

The defendant was jailed for a year and was banned from driving for a year.