Man caught red-handed during burglary in Ballymena

Details emerged as Mark Anthony Goldie (34), of Galgorm Road in Ballymena, was sentenced at Antrim Magistrates Court - sitting in Ballymena - for burglary of a property at Broughshane Road in the town which happened on December 6 last year.

A prosecutor said the home owner was away and the property had been locked and secured and a dashcam had been set up on the front window and an alarm had been put on a gate. The next door neighbour phoned to say the alarm was going and she could see a stranger wearing an orange hi-vis jacket at the side of the property where a mountain bike was present. The householder’s daughter and her husband arrived and saw a gate into a shed open and when they went to check the house they heard shouting and the horn being sounded on their van. They then found Goldie standing by the van saying her was there to “work at the house” which they knew to be untrue and then they noticed the front door was open. Goldie admitted having been inside saying his coat was in the house and then said he was there to buy a car which the couple knew was not for sale. They noticed the shape of the householder’s dashcam in the defendant’s hoodie and when told the police were going to be called, Goldie said: “Go ahead”. The daughter photographed the defendant who left on a bicycle before he was arrested a short distance away by police who found Diazepam on him and he was disorderly. The dashcam was located in the garden of the property.The defendant was being sentenced on charges including burglary, disorderly behaviour and possession of Diazepam. Goldie also admitted burglary with intent to steal at ‘commercial premises’ at Cullybackey Road, Ballymena, on March 15 this year. On the same date he stole a Kia Picanto of low value and ten alloy wheels. He also caused damage to shutters - which had been forced open - and fraudulently claimed he owned the vehicle which he sold for scrap. Damage had also been caused to a number of other vehicles. The court heard £2,000 damage was caused. A defence barrister said the defendant had a criminal record going back to the age of 15. Regarding the December offence the lawyer said Goldie had “very little recollection” of what happened but had obviously gone to steal “to sell to fund a recurrent habit for the mis-use of prescription drugs”. The lawyer said after spending some time in jail on remand in connection with the offences Goldie has now seen “the error of his ways”. District Judge Nigel Broderick put Goldie on Probation for a year and deferred sentencing for six months saying he would give him a chance to “mend his ways”.