Former leading Belfast loyalist remanded in custody on shoplifting charges

Standing in the dock of Ballymena Magistrates Court on Saturday, 54-year-old Moore was charged with three counts of theft, two relating to incidents on 14 December in Boots and B&M Bargains and one from Poundland on 30 November this year.

According to the charges Moore, from the Crebilly Road in Ballymena, stole softener and laundry detergent with £111 from B&M, £19 of “beauty products” from Boots and £36 of groceries from Poundland.

Moore was also charged with trying to steal alcohol from Lidl on 14 December.

Constable Wells told the court she believed she could connect Moore to each of the charges, adding that police were also objecting to bail due to fears that Moore would commit further offences.

She highlighted that in his 37 previous offences, Moore has seven entries for theft and had been dealt with at the same court just a few hours before his latest offences.

In court on Thursday, Moore was handed a six month jail sentence for a series of thefts and driving offences committed between 9 March and 21 September this year.

The court heard that using the same Modus Operandi, Moore walked into his local Tesco, loaded up and trolley with food or groceries and simply walked out but that on each occasion, he was identified by staff and by CCTV footage.

Amongst his ill-gotten gains, former Crusaders footballer Moore stole 20 legs of lamb, bedding and cooking pots worth £534 on a single day while the other charges relate to food, electrical items, alcohol and groceries worth a total of £462.

He had also admitted two making off without payments charges relatinbg to his failure to pay for £20 and £35 worth of fuel and to taking and driving away, driving without insurance and driving while banned.

During a plea in mitigation on Thursday, defence counsel Neil Moore said the defendant was stealing thew various goods to sell them on “on order to feed his addiction to crack cocaine.”

He lamented the fact that as a teenager, Moore had a six month trial with Millwall Football club but due to being homesick, he came back to NI but it was then that he “became involved in matters that were associated with the Troubles.

More recently, Moore was “expelled from the area where he grew up” and he had been subjected to multiple severe beatings at the hands of his former associates, said the barrister.

While Mr Moore “implored” the judge to impose a probation order to help the defendant address his addiction to crack cocaine, District Judge Nigel Broderick said despite counsel’s “impassioned plea, unfortunately the facts are so serious that the custody threshold has been crossed.”

In addition to the six month jail sentence, Moore was also handed a two year driving ban but DJ Broderick freed the defendant on bail pending an appeal of the jail sentence.

In court on Saturday, District Judge Francis Rafferty highlighted that “within hours” of being freed by the court, Moore had allegedly committed further offences.

“Bail is refused,” declared the judge who remanded Moore into custody and adjourned the case to 21 December.