Accused released on bail on charges of having deactivated guns

A KILLINCHY man has appeared in court accused of having two deactivated firearms.

Standing handcuffed to a prison guard in the dock of Newtownards Magistrates’ Court yesterday, 27-year-old Keith Crooks confirmed he understood the two charges against him.

Crooks, from New Line Crescent, has been accused of having a deactivated .22 air rifle without holding a firearms certificate, and having a deactivated AK47 assault rifle “with intent to cause fear of unlawful violence” on Wednesday, May 3, this year.

No evidence surrounding the charges were revealed during the sitting of the court yesterday.

However, it is understood they arise following an incident just after 6pm on Wednesday, during which the PSNI received a number of reports that a man, who was believed to be carrying a suspected firearm, was attempting to stop cars on the Comber Road in Killinchy, Co Down.

Specially trained firearms officers responded to the incident and a man was arrested in the New Line Crescent area while a search of the area uncovered a deactivated rifle, and a number of other items were recovered.

During the court hearing on Friday, a Detective Constable said she believed she could connect Crooks to the charges.

Defence barrister Conor Holmes revealed that “negotiations all morning, I am happy to say, have borne fruit” in that police had agreed to bail conditions. Freeing Crooks on his own bail of £300 and ordering him to appear again before the court on Friday June 2, District Judge Una Mullan imposed a number of bail conditions, barring the defendant from taking alcohol or illicit drugs, ordering him to observe a curfew and also telling him that he must report to police twice a week.

In addition, Crooks must attend with his GP “and any mental health appointment”.

The defendant has also been prohibited from having a firearm — or anything which resembles one.

District Judge Mullan warned Crooks that if he breached any of the bail conditions she had set: “you will be brought back and may remain in custody.”