Three men in court accused of trying to kidnap woman

Three men appeared in court on Saturday accused of trying to kidnap a woman in Kilrea, County Londonderry.

The 35-year-old woman's car was rammed and “boxed in” before she was assaulted in a garage forecourt, the court heard.

Appearing by videolink at Ballymena Magistrates Court, Richard Heaney, 38, and brothers Owen and Richard Montgomery, both 27, confirmed they were aware of the charges against them.

All three are charged with attempted kidnap of a woman on 27 November but they also face further charges arising from the incident.

Mr Heaney, from Ardbann Avenue in Kilrea, faces further charges of robbery of the woman's coat, phone and bank card, possessing a screwdriver with intent to commit wounding, resisting police, dangerous driving, damaging the woman's car and possessing class C pregabalin.

Owen Montgomery, from the Garvagh Road in Kilrea, is also charged with damaging the woman's car, tampering with a vehicle, assault and possessing cannabis and meth.

Ryan Montgomery, from Coleraine Street in Kilrea, faces further charges of threatening to kill the woman and two charges of assaulting her.

Heaney did not apply for bail. A bail application for the Montgomery brothers was refused. They will appear in court again on 23 December.

Summarising the case, Judge Magill said the woman called police at 16:30 GMT on Wednesday and said “that she and her partner were being chased in a car and that it had been rammed".

“She could be heard screaming and she said that efforts were being made by multiple cars to box them in,” the judge said.

He added that other cars were rammed and three police officers were injured.

The scene then moved to a filling station on Maghera Street where the woman “was attacked by numerous people, including the defendants”.

Judge Magill said that according to the police, there was CCTV footage of the incident where the defendants allegedly “surround the car”.

The woman went inside the filling station for safety but the Montgomery brothers could be seen “loitering at the front door waiting for her”.

The woman was allegedly “set upon by both” the Montgomery brothers and “dragged by the coat along the ground” until they “[pinned] her to the car", the judge said.

Two cars nearby were being driven by Mr Heaney and a fourth man, Leon McGlinchey, 31, and all four have been arrested.

Mr McGlinchey, from Moyola Avenue in Castledawson, appeared in court on Friday charged with 11 offences including driving while unfit, dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, three charges of failing to provide a specimen of breath, driving with neither insurance nor a licence, theft of a coat and phone, criminal damage and obstructing police.

He was also refused bail and remanded into custody until 23 December.

During their police interviews the Montgomery brothers admitted they were there but denied there was any assault and claimed the alleged victim was “a compulsive liar constantly making allegations” against them.

Defence counsel for the brothers, Gavin Cairns, suggested the woman was “known to the court” herself and that there had been "an overcharging” in the case.

The barrister argued that bail conditions could be put in place to address police concerns and said the case “will take months and months and months” to resolve and "may not cross the custody threshold".

Judge Magill agreed the brothers “have limited records” but he also emphasised that both men had breached bail conditions.

“Clearly there is something going on here between these people but there is CCTV footage of an attack on a woman in daylight, in a public place where she is dragged along the ground among other things,” the judge said.

“This is a very serious incident, it’s very worrying and I cannot be satisfied that if this pair were released there would not be any further offences in relation to this woman and her partner so therefore, not only is there a risk of further offences but a concern about interference with witnesses son bail is refused."