Man quizzed on theft of late teacher’s car
A MAN arrested following a creeper burglary in Newtownabbey is also being questioned about the theft of a car from the home of May Stevens, whose body was found in her home on the same night the vehicle was taken.
Mother-of-two Mrs Stevens (64) was found in her Lismoyne Park home in north Belfast shortly after 3am on Sunday by officers enquiring about her vehicle. It had been seen a short time earlier on the North Circular Road having failed to stop for police.
The car was later found abandoned in Glenbank Place, Ballysillan, at around 6.45am.
At the time the PSNI said it was investigating a possible link to two other attempted burglaries in the area in the early hours of
Sunday morning — one of which was also in Lismoyne Park.
Yesterday the PSNI said it had arrested two men, aged 23 and 24, following a creeper style burglary in Newtownabbey on Wednesday night.
The pair were detained after police stopped a stolen car in the Ballysillan area of north Belfast at around 11.25pm.
The Audi A1 had been taken during an earlier break-in at a house in Blackrock Park Avenue, Newtownabbey. Detective Inspector Michael McDonnell said last night: “One of the arrested males is also being questioned in connection with a number of other incidents — including burglaries and attempted burglaries in the Lismoyne Park, Kelvin Parade, Cavehill Drive and Broadway areas of Belfast. Both remain in custody at present.”
It is understood that the 24 year-old is being quizzed about the car stolen from Mrs Stevens’ house.
Mrs Stevens was about to become a grandmother for the first time when she died.
She had taught maths at the Boys’ Model school and worked at Newtownabbey Regional College in more recent years.
Following a post-mortem examination, police said that Mrs Stevens’ death was not suspicious.