Man accused of stalking his estranged wife using car's tracking data
A Co Antrim businessman allegedly stalked his estranged wife by seeking tracking data from her Range Rover, a court heard yesterday.
Police claimed Mark McKinstry, 54, asked a car dealership in Belfast to download information after she left the vehicle in to be serviced last week.
McKinstry, from Belfast Road in Crumlin, denied a charge of stalking and insisted he only sought the data for VAT purposes.
He was refused bail and remanded into custody after appearing at Belfast magistrates’ court.
District judge Steven Keown was told McKinstry’s wife took the Range Rover into a Boucher Road dealership on November 5.
When she returned to collect the vehicle three days later, staff disclosed that her husband had been in to ask for a report from the car’s tracking system.
The requested information was not provided to the accused.
An investigating detective said McKinstry’s wife further claimed a white van had followed her on more than one occasion.
McKinstry was arrested early on Monday morning for the alleged stalking offence.
During interviews he denied the allegations, telling police he paid for the car and needed data on fuel usage and mileage to make a business VAT claim.
“He denied that he was asking the dealer to provide information regarding tracking of the vehicle, i.e. to see where it had been,” the detective added.
McKinstry and his wife are currently going through divorce proceedings.
Judge McKeown denied bail and remanded McKinstry in custody until December 10.