Kilrea incident: Trio in court accused to trying to kidnap woman
Three Kilrea men appeared in court on Saturday accused of trying to kidnap a woman whose car was rammed and “boxed in” before she was assaulted in a garage forecourt.
Appearing by videolink from police custody at Ballymena Magistrates Court, 38-year-old Richard Heaney and 27-year-old brothers Owen and Richard Montgomery, confirmed they were aware of the respective charges against them.
All three are charged with attempted kidnap of a woman on 27 November but all three also face further charges arising from the same incident.
Heaney, from Ardban Ave, faces further charges of robbery of the complainant’s coat, phone and bank card, possessing a screwdriver with intent to commit wounding, resisting police, dangerous driving, damaging the complainant’s car and possessing class C pregabalin.
Owen Montgomery, from the Garvagh Road, is also charged with damaging the complainant’ VW T-Roc, tampering with a vehicle as well as assault and possessing cannabis and meth.
Ryan Montgomery, from Coleraine Street, faces further charges of threatening to kill the woman and two charges of assaulting her.
Heaney did not apply for bail so District Judge Peter Magill remanded him into custody to appear again on 23 December.
Defence counsel Gavin Cairns did lodge bail application on behalf of the Montgomery brothers and a police officer said there were objections to the pair being freed as police feared there could be further offences or witness interference given that everyone involved lives in Kilrea.
Summarising the outline of police case for the court, Judge Magill recounted how the alleged would-be kidnap victim called police at 16.30 on Wednesday afternoon “that she and her partner were being chased in a car and that it had been rammed.”
“She could be heard screaming and she said that efforts were being made by multiple cars to box them in,” said the judge, adding that other cars were rammed, with three police officers injured.
The scene then moved to a filling station on Maghera Street where the woman “was attacked by numerous people, including the defendants.”
Judge Magill said that according to the police outline of alleged facts, there was CCTV footage of the incident where the defendants allegedly “surround the car” and the women flees inside for safety but the Montgomery brothers can be seen “loitering at the front door waiting for her.”
When she leaves, the 35-year-old is allegedly “set upon by both” the Montgomery brothers and she is “dragged by the coat along the ground” until they “pin her to the car.”
Two cars nearby, a Vauxhall Astra and a Vauxhall Insignia, are being driving by Heaney and a fourth man, 31-year-old Leon McGlinchey and all four are arrested.
McGlinchey, from Moyola Ave in Castledawson, appeared in court on Friday charged with 11 offences including driving while unfit, dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, three charges of failing to provide a specimen of breath, driving with neither insurance nor a licence, theft of a coat and phone, criminal damage and obstructing police.
He was also refused bail and remanded to 23 December.
Judge Magill said police had been approached by a member of the housing executive who claimed Heaney had told them “he wanted her [the complainant] dead and intended to tie her to a police and stab her” as he produced a screwdriver.
During their police interviews the Montgomery brothers admitted they were there but denied there was any assault and claimed the alleged victim “is a compulsive liar constantly making allegations” against them.
Conceding that “it’s extremely difficult” in applying for bail, Mr Cairns suggested the woman at the centre of the allegations “is known to the court” herself and further that “there’s been an overcharging” in the case.
Arguing that bail conditions could be put in place to address police concerns, the barrister contended the case “will take months and months and months” to resolve and if it even gets that far, it could easily end up as a disorderly behaviour “and may not cross the custody threshold.”
Judge Magill agreed the pair “have limited records” but he also emphasised that both men had breached bail conditions.
“Clearly there is something going on here between these people but there is CCTV footage of an attack on a woman in daylight, in a public place where she is dragged along the ground among other things,” said the judge.
“This is a very serious incident, it’s very worrying and I cannot be satisfied that if this pair were released there would not be any further offences in relation to this woman and her partner so therefore, not only is there a risk of further offences but a concern about interference with witnesses son bail is refused,” Judge Magill concluded.
Similar to Heaney and McGlinchey, the Montgomery brothers were remanded into custody until 23 December.