NEWS

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

The scene outside the former Northern Regional College campus at Trostan Avenue, Ballymena on Sunday evening. Firefighters from the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) responded to a blaze at the former premises of the Northern Regional College on Trostan Avenue, Ballymena. The incident occurred on Sunday evening (November 9) and is being treated as deliberate. At 6:08pm, NIFRS received a call reporting a fire at the derelict building on Trostan Avenue. Two applia

An offensive racial slur daubed on the railway bridge on the Toome Road, Ballymena. Editor’s note: This article contains images of racist graffiti which has been blurred to obscure offensive language. It is included solely to illustrate the location and nature of the incident reported. Alliance MLA for North Antrim, Sian Mulholland, has issued a strong condemnation after racist and hateful graffiti, including a swastika and racial slurs, was discovered on a bridge over Toome

PSNI Ballymena Neighbourhood Inspector McToal Ballymena’s District Support Team (DST) has seized around £250,000 worth of drugs, cash, and weapons in a series of proactive operations carried out across the Mid and East Antrim area throughout October. The specialist team, made up of six officers, works under the direction of the District Commander and the Policing and Community Safety Partnership, tackling crime priorities that most affect local communities. Inspector McToal s

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

The two thieves making off with the bike, and (inset) Sinn Féin Councillor Bréanainn Lyness A second bicycle has been stolen in as many weeks from All Saints Chapel in Ballymena, prompting renewed calls for vigilance from local Sinn Féin Councillor Bréanainn Lyness . The latest theft reportedly occurred while parishioners were attending Mass at the All Saints Parish Centre, highlighting growing concern over opportunistic crimes targeting community spaces. Confirming the incid

Victim: 69-year-old Patrick Flanagan from the Derry area . Police have confirmed that the man who died after being seriously injured in Dungiven in the early hours of Sunday, 2 November, was 69-year-old Patrick Flanagan from the Derry area. Detective Inspector Gillian Connolly, from the PSNI’s Criminal Investigation Department , said: “Police received a report at approximately 1.35am on Sunday morning that an injured man had been found in the Foreglen Road area. “Officers att

Police in Mid and East Antrim have seized an estimated £65,000 worth of drugs, cash and prohibited weapons following two separate operations in the Ahoghill and Randalstown areas. The District Support Team carried out the first arrest and search operation on Wednesday, 29 October, in Ahoghill. During the search, officers recovered suspected Class A and Class B drugs, along with several prohibited weapons. Police estimate the total value of the drugs to be in excess of £30,000

Suspected murder victim: Jordan Webb Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Major Investigation Team have launched a murder investigation following the death of a man in Portavogie. The victim has been named as 28-year-old Jordan Webb. Police and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service attended a property in the New Harbour Road area of the County Down village on the morning of Monday, 3 November. Detective Inspector Hollie McCartan , who is leading the inves

Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Major Investigation Team have launched a murder investigation following the death of a man in Portavogie. Police and emergency services were called to a property in the New Harbour Road area of the coastal village on the morning of Monday 3 November. Detective Inspector Hollie McCartan said: “Officers, along with colleagues from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, responded to a report received just after 7.45am. “

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has confirmed that a man aged in his 60s has died after being seriously injured in Dungiven in the early hours of Sunday, 2 November. Detective Inspector Gillian Connolly, from the PSNI’s Criminal Investigation Department , said: “Police received a report at approximately 1.35am that an injured man had been found in the Foreglen Road area. “Officers attended, alongside our colleagues from partner emergency services. The injured ma

Police have arrested a man following a report that a woman had been seriously injured in Dungannon on Saturday, 1 November. Chief Inspector Graham Dodds said: “At approximately 11.30am, it was reported that a woman had sustained a serious leg injury inside a property in the Altmore Drive area of the town. “Officers attended, and administered first aid until colleagues from other emergency services arrived. A woman, aged in her 40s, was taken to hospital for treatment. “Police

Domestic abuse survivor, Iwona Giza A 28-year-old doctor from Northern Ireland has bravely waived her right to anonymity to speak publicly about the horrific abuse she suffered at the hands of her former partner — and to encourage other victims to seek help. Iwona Giza, a qualified medical doctor , says she has chosen to share her story as Domestic Abuse Awareness Month draws to a close, hoping that others living in fear will find the strength to come forward. On 23 October 2

Detectives in Belfast are appealing for information following a terrifying hijacking incident in which a baby was threatened in the city centre in the early hours of Saturday morning, 25th October. According to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), the incident unfolded at around 3.50am in the Donegall Place area, when a delivery driver had exited his vehicle — a white Vauxhall Agila — leaving his partner and her young baby inside. Threat made against baby Detective

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

High Street, Ballymena A young mother who moved to Ballymena to rebuild her life has spoken of her terror after a burglar broke into her home while she slept — just metres away from her bed. The woman, who lives in the High Street area of Ballymena, said the incident happened in the early hours of Monday, 13th October, and has left her frightened to return home with her five-year-old daughter. She had moved to the town only recently, hoping to give her child a safe and stable

Damage to the Ballymena shop after a vehicle was driven through the window. Police investigating a single-vehicle road traffic collision in the Grove Road area of Ballymena have charged a woman to court. The incident, which occurred on Friday, 17th October, involved a vehicle crashing into the local Spar shop, causing significant damage to the premises and injuring a customer who was trapped inside. Emergency services, including police, ambulance, and fire crews, attended the