Judge's warning to Crown in death drive case

District Judge Liam McNally was speaking at Coleraine Court regarding Shane Kinney (22), of Drones Road, Armoy, who is accused in connection with a horror collision at Easter 2015 in which two young people were killed and seven others injured.

A preliminary enquiry - the legal move to send the case to the Crown Court - was due to be heard at the court on August 26 but a prosecutor said: “Unfortunately we are going to have to vacate that date”.

She confirmed a file has been directed on the charges and it was a matter of finalising the paperwork.

The prosecutor said a “definitive” new date for the preliminary enquiry will be set on August 26.

A defence lawyer said the slow progress in the case is “not entirely satisfactory”.

Judge McNally said prosecutors were going to have to concentrate on the case as it was now over a year since it first came to court.

The District Judge said if there is no progress from prosecutors by August 26 he will fix a date for the preliminary enquiry.

Judge McNally said that date would be “locked in stone” and if that is not met he will “discharge the defendants”.

Armoy man, Shane Kinney is charged with causing the death of Johnny Black (19) from Ballycastle and Robin Wilson (26) from Armoy by dangerous driving on April 6, 2015 at Cushendall Road, Ballycastle.

He is further charged with causing grievous bodily injury by dangerous driving and failing to report an accident, and remain at the scene of an accident.

The accused is further charged with handing stolen goods - a rear bumper and boot lid of a Volkswagen Golf; obstructing a police officer; intent to pervert the course of justice by making a false statement to police in relation to ownership of a mobile phone which had been used after a fatal road traffic collision; conspiring with his parents to pervert the course of justice by removing a Volkswagen Golf allegedly involved in a fatal road traffic collision; and assisting alleged offenders in the theft of a bumper and boot lid.

All the above charges were in connection with April 6, 2015 and he is further charged with possession of cannabis and possession of cannabis with intent to supply on June 30, 2015.

Shane Kinney’s father, Kevin Alexander Kinney (51), and his mother Sharon Kinney (49) - all three have the same address - both face three charges.

Those charges are: intending to pervert the course of justice by removing a Volkswagen Golf allegedly involved in a fatal road traffic collision; conspiring to pervert the course of justice in assisting in the removal of a Golf; assisting an offender.

The defendant’s father, Kevin Kinney also faces a fourth charge - theft of car parts worth £100 from McAuley Car Dismantlers.