Sniffer dog tracked down accused men

Gavin O’Halloran and a co-accused were arrested for the alleged theft of a Volkswagen Eos driven at speeds in excess of 100mph.

Details emerged as 30-year-old O’Halloran, of Moyard Parade in the city, was refused bail. He faces charges of burglary, aggravated taking of a vehicle damaged and driven dangerously, and going equipped for theft.

The car was stolen from a house on the Upper Cavehill Road on September 12 this year. Later that night police spotted it at Nutts Corner, Co Antrim and began a pursuit.

But Belfast Magistrates’ Court was told officers lost sight of the vehicle on the Upper Hightown Road, as it travelled towards Belfast at over 100mph.

CCTV cameras picked up the Volkswagen on the Crumlin Road before it was eventually located in Silverstream Park with a wing mirror missing and damage to a wheel.

A police dog found keys to the car hidden behind a hedge, a PSNI constable said. O’Halloran and the other man were arrested 200m away.

“The dog, which tracks fresh human scent, then tracked from the location of the key directly to where the two defendants were stopped by police,” the officer added.

Defence counsel Declan Quinn challenged the strength of the case against O’Halloran.

No forensics link his client to either the stolen car or the house it was stolen from, Mr Quinn contended. “The height of the evidence is the dog scent,” the barrister added.

District Judge Amanda Henderson remanded O’Halloran in custody for a further four weeks