Men on fake gun petrol station robbery charges

Iain Rea, 48, of Annadale Crescent, and William James McCartan, 44, of Annadale Flats, both deny charges of attempted robbery and possessing an imitation firearm.

Their trial at Belfast Crown Court heard how a shop assistant was confronted by a masked man carrying a handgun at a petrol station over two years ago.

Prosecution lawyer Gareth Purvis told the jury that the incident happened at the Solo petrol station on the Cable Road in Whitehead at around 9.2o pm on June 13, 2016 when the armed robber threatened the worker with the gun in a bid to force him to hand over cash from the till.

But the court heard that the would-be armed robber fled empty-handed after the shop assistant challenged him, and got into a waiting car.

A resident in a nearby apartment complex had noted down the details of a suspicious car – a gold-coloured Renault Clio – and passed them to police.

Later that same evening police spotted the car at a filling station on the Ravenhill Road in east Belfast and arrested Rea.

A balaclava was found in the front footwell, and a subsequent search of Rea’s flat found a suspected imitation firearm, black leather jacket, latex mask and gloves.

DNA on the mask matched McCartan’s profile, but it was not until November 2016 that police tracked him down to an address in Whitehead.

McCartan claimed he was in the petrol station “making a purchase” when police arrested Rea.

At hearing.