Nutts Corner ATM raid: Man appears in court

Thieves struck in the early hours of Tuesday morning, causing significant damage to the Nutts Corner service station

A man has appeared in court charged with the theft of a County Antrim cash machine containing nearly £60,000.

David McClurkin, 23, is accused of being part of a team who used a digger to wrench the ATM from a shop wall at Tully Road, Nutts Corner.

Thieves struck in the early hours of Tuesday morning, causing significant damage to the service station.

Mr McClurkin, of Craighill in Antrim, is the third man to be charged in connection with the raid.

The theft was the latest in a wider spate of attacks on cash machines across Northern Ireland - 15 have been stolen so far this year.

Mr McClurkin appeared before Belfast Magistrates' Court charged with stealing an Ulster Bank machine valued at £16,000, and more than £59,000 in cash that it contained.

He also faces further counts of criminal damage to the Costcutter premises at the scene and arson to the digger used in the crime.

Mr McClurkin spoke only to confirm that he understood the charges against him.

A defence solicitor Michael Madden confirmed his client was not seeking release at this stage.

"Mr McClurkin strenuously denies the allegations, but we are not in a position to apply for bail," he said.

District Judge Fiona Bagnall remanded the accused in custody to appear again by video-link at Antrim Magistrates' Court on 28 May.