Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
‘MUM AIDED FATAL ATTACK ON VICTIM’
Trio charged with attempted murder denied bail
THE mother of two men accused of taking part in a fatal attack over an extra-marital affair allegedly prevented any attempt to warn the victim, the High Court heard yesterday.
Prosecutors claimed Steven Peck was lured to the scene of the “brutal” assault in Ballymoney, Co Antrim, while Easther Mccook stayed with the woman he had been seeing.
Mr Peck, 33, was discovered with a serious head injury near the Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre in Ballymoney on January 3.
Detectives launched a murder investigation after he died in hospital a week later.
Three men, 54-year-old David Austin, of Cherry Gardens in Ballymoney, and brothers Stephen Mccook, 28, and Brian
Mccook, 24, both from Urbal Road in Devock, are currently charged with his attempted murder.
Police believe Mr Peck had been in a relationship with Austin’s wife, and was attacked when he went to what he thought was a meeting with her.
Easther Mccook, also of Urbal Road, faces a charge of assisting offenders by allegedly providing a false alibi and interfering with witnesses in connection with the
investigation. During the 46-yearold’s application for bail the court heard claims that she was with her two sons at the Austins’ home on the evening of the assault.
Crown lawyer Adrian Higgins contended: “David Austin, Stephen Mccook and Brian Mccook left Cherry Gardens and carried out the brutal attack on Steven Peck, who police believe had been lured into the area.”
Easther Mccook remained behind with Austin’s wife and kept her mobile phone until they returned, it was alleged.
Mr Higgins added: “The rationale for that was she [Mrs Austin] could not alert anyone, namely Mr Peck, or call police.”
Two days later, it was alleged, Easther Mccook went to another address to ask about Mrs Austin’s whereabouts. The prosecution claim she spoke to someone else at that property “in an attempt to establish whether or not [she] had daubed them in”.
Defence counsel Dean Mooney confirmed Mccook denies being at the Austins’ home on the day of the assault.
Mr Mooney also insisted it was complete speculation to claim his client knows anything about Mr Peck’s phone.
Mr Justice Scoffield denied bail to the defendants.