'˜Vast amount of telephone data' in Ballycastle fatal crash case

A prosecutor also told Coleraine Magistrates Court on Monday the whole file is “voluminous” as she said a preliminary enquiry in the case of Shane Kinney (21), of Drones Road, Armoy, has been fixed for the end of August.

His parents - Kevin (51) and mother Sharon (49) - of the same address - are also charged in connection with the case.

It is claimed steps were taken to remove a car allegedly driven by Shane Kinney from the scene of the crash and fix damage on it.

Two young men died and seven other people were injured in the road collision near Ballycastle in April 2015.

Shane Kinney’s solicitor Connel Trainor said a preliminary enquiry was due to have been held last week but it was adjourned until Monday for the prosecution to give an update.

A prosecutor said the preliminary enquiry - the legal move to send the case to the Crown Court - has now been set for the end of August.

She said the reason for the delay was the “vast” number of telephone downloads and the overall size of the “voluminous file”.

Mr Trainor said he was very concerned that the case is “dragging on” and said the date given will mean it will have been well over a year since his client was first brought to court.

He asked for a review of the case in mid-August to ensure the preliminary enquiry will remain on track.

The Kinneys - are out on continuing bail - and were excused from attending the court on Monday.

Shane Kinney is charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, seven charges of causing grievous bodily injury by dangerous driving and other charges following a crash at Cushendall Road, Ballycastle, on April 6, 2015.

His mother Sharon and father Kevin are charged with perverting the course of justice in connection with the horror road smash their son has been accused of causing.

Two people - Johnny Black (19) from Ballycastle and Robin Wilson (26) from Armoy died following a collision near Ballycastle on Easter Monday, 2015.

When the case was in court in November a prosecutor said there were 55 tape transcripts along with forensic reports including information on an airbag.

In September a court was told by a prosecutor a forensic report was still outstanding in relation to paint and a vehicle movements report was also due.

At a previous court last year a police officer said at 3.41am on Monday April 6, 2015, police received a report of a fatal road traffic collision at Cushendall Road, Ballycastle , involving two vehicles at the scene - a Volkswagen Bora in which Robin Wilson was going towards Ballycastle and a Peugeot car containing Johnny Black going towards Ballyvoy .

The officer said police investigations led them to believe a third vehicle was involved, a blue Volkswagen Golf, which was identified as belonging to Shane Kinney through its registration number.

He said the suspect presented himself voluntarily at Coleraine Police Station on April 8 and afterwards presented his car for inspection and no damage was found.

The officer said police believed parts were stolen from a car dismantlers yard in Armoy which were fitted on the vehicle and claimed forensics later matched the parts on Kinney’s car to a car in the yard.

He said witnesses placed Kinney at the scene of the accident with damage to his car but that he then left the scene.

The officer said another witness saw Kinney and one of the deceased, Robin Wilson, at Hunter’s Bar in Ballyvoy.

The police officer said witnesses alleged Kinney’s parents recovered the car on the evening of April 6.