NEWS

A County Antrim engineering company has been fined £10,000 after a worker suffered severe foot injuries during an unsafe lifting operation at its Coleraine premises. Maine Surface Finishing Ltd was sentenced today at Laganside Crown Court, Belfast, after earlier pleading guilty to a single health and safety offence following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI). The court heard that the incident took place on 29 August 2023, when an

Jake Quigley A 21-year-old man from Ballymena has been jailed for his role in a violent, race-motivated disturbance that took place in the town’s Clonavon area earlier this year. Jake Quigley was sentenced at Antrim Crown Court today, Wednesday 12th November, for his involvement in the large-scale disorder on 9th June. He received a two-year custodial sentence, followed by two years on licence. The incident, described by police as “shameful scenes” , saw significant damage ca

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has confirmed that 100 people have now been arrested as part of its ongoing investigation into the serious disorder that unfolded in Ballymena during the summer. To date, 91 individuals have been charged with offences including riot, arson with intent to endanger life, and burglary with intent to cause arson. All of these cases are currently being prosecuted before the courts. Photographs of 60 potential suspects were previously i

A 54-year-old woman from east Belfast has been jailed for five months after fraudulently claiming she would donate a kidney to a man in desperate need of a transplant. Nicola Hutton was sentenced at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 6 November, having previously been convicted of a false communication offence. The case centred on Hutton’s deceitful contact with William “Billy” Cullen from Newtownabbey, who had been suffering from Polycystic Kidney Disease for around ten

A County Antrim man who attempted to smuggle cannabis worth £64,000 into Northern Ireland concealed inside a makeshift workbench has been sentenced following an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA). William Stewart, 46, living in Crumlin, was stopped by Border Force officers when he arrived in Belfast from Aldershot in October 2024. He had travelled by ferry in his transit van. During a search of the vehicle, a sniffer dog indicated the presence of drugs. Officers

Convicted: Cathan Quinn A man from Magherafelt has been sentenced to two years and two months for the online blackmail of two female victims involving intimate images. Twenty-nine-year-old Cathan Quinn appeared before Dungannon Crown Court on Monday, 4 November, where he was told he will serve half his sentence in custody and half on licence. He has also been made subject to a five-year restraining order for each victim. Detective Inspector Ryan said: “In early 2021, Cathan

Emergency Services at the scene of the incident at Glarryford, outside Ballymena A COURT heard it was a "miracle" nobody was killed after a van driver's careless driving ended up with a lorry crashing down an embankment onto the A26 dual-carriageway at Glarryford near Ballymena. The van driver - Patrick Fitzpatrick (56), from the Dunloy area -  pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention at Station Road, Glarryford, around 5.45pm on March 20 this year. Footage o

Max with new owner Molly Piper A landmark case involving a Dundonald dog identified as a Pit Bull type has cost Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) more than £53,000. The council this week released a detailed report following a court verdict earlier this month which confirmed that Max — the dog at the centre of the dispute — was a banned breed under UK law. The case has created what LCCC described as a “precedent” for councils across Northern Ireland, establishing tha

Wanted: Ray Lee Police have issued appeals to help trace three men who are co-defendants in the same case and have all previously pleaded guilty to fraud-related offences. Raymond (Ray) Lee, Elijah Lee, and Mark Millar are all awaiting sentencing in connection with a series of courier frauds committed between 2020 and 2021. Ray Lee – failed to return from compassionate leave Police are appealing for information to help locate 32-year-old Raymond (Ray) Lee, who is in breach of

A Glenavy man has been sentenced to five months in prison after being found guilty of breaching a court-ordered ban on keeping animals. James Steele (55), of Gobrana Road, Glenavy, Crumlin, appeared before Lisburn Court where he was handed a five-month custodial sentence and ordered to pay a £25 offender levy for one charge under the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) confirmed that the case aro

A 56-year-old US citizen who conned Northern Ireland clients out of around £135,000 while working as a mortgage advisor has been jailed for four years. Marianne Smyth was sentenced today (Friday 17 October) at Downpatrick Crown Court after being found guilty of three counts of fraud by abuse of position and three counts of theft following a four-day trial last month. The offences date back to when Smyth was working as a mortgage advisor in Northern Ireland between 2005 and 20

Pictured: On the run, Christopher Simpson A violent thug who left his victim bedridden after a brutal assault in 2022 is still evading...

On the run: Convicted rapist Ahmed Abashar The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) has strongly criticised the Police Service of Northern Ireland...

Police image of wanted man Ahmed Abashar Police have issued a bench warrant for Ahmed Abashar after he failed to appear at court on...

Max the dog A Dundonald stray dog has been judged to be a Pit Bull type, with a two-month destruction order now hanging over him. Max the...

Antrim Crown Court A woman from the Greysteel area has been sentenced for defrauding a medical practice in Limavady out of more than...

A man has been given a suspended prison sentence after being convicted of exploiting his late uncle’s finances while holding enduring...

Antrim Crown Court In a significant environmental case, a father and son from Ballymena, County Antrim, have been sentenced at Antrim...

North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston pictured with campaigners outside Laganside Court in Belfast TUV North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston has...

A Ballymena man accused of murdering 21-year-old Chloe Mitchell is to stand trial next year, a court has confirmed, reports BBC NI News ....