Woman charged over theft of campaigner’s car ‘must stay out of Belfast’

A woman has been ordered to stay out of Belfast after appearing in court accused of being involved in the theft of a car belonging to a well-known campaigner.

Mairtin Mac Gabhann spoke out in distress after his car was stolen in west Belfast on Wednesday. Inside it had been his son Daithi’s wheelchair as well as Christmas presents including a Play Station 5.

Police said they were opposed to bail for the accused in the case at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Friday due to tensions in the area over what happened.

The family has become well known through campaigning for Daithi who is on a waiting list for a heart transplant.

The young Belfast boy inspired the creation of Daithi’s Law, introduced in 2023, to increase the number of organs available to people in need of a transplant.

Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard that police received a report at around 9am on Wednesday of a car stolen from an address.

They found the car at the Kennedy Centre, a shopping centre in west Belfast, with three people inside it, and later recovered the wheelchair from another address.

Dearbhla Conlon, 35, of Glenalina Gardens, Belfast, Jolene Cush, 43, of New Barnsley Drive, Belfast and Brandon Lee O’Neill, 23, of Glenalina Gardens, Belfast all appeared in the dock on Friday.

Ms Conlon is facing five charges, including aggravated vehicle taking, Ms Cush faces eight charges including aggravated vehicle taking and handling stolen goods while Mr O’Neill has seven charges including aggravated vehicle taking and driving without a licence or insurance.

A police officer told the court she believed she could connect the accused to the charges.

Both Ms Cush and Mr O’Neill were remanded in custody, having not applied for bail.

The police officer in court said they opposed bail for Ms Conlon, describing a “high-profile theft”.

“The doors were locked when police attempted to open the car doors,” a police officer told the court.

“The defendant O’Neill was the driver and started the car, and drove at police. He collided with two vehicles, a parked car, and damaged the vehicle he was in.

“He was taken out of the vehicle along with two females.”

She said the wheelchair was discovered at an address and recovered, while a Play Station 5 in the car had been taken into a CEX store and attempted to be sold.

“There is extremely high tensions in the area, and we would be opposing bail based on the risk to her, and also the risk of serious public disorder should she be released,” she said.

“The injured party’s family is a high-profile well-known child, he suffers from a number of health complaints, and his parents have campaigned for a number of years, resulting in Daithi’s Law, which came into effect in 2023.

“Community awareness of the incident is high, and social media footage of the arrest is circulating widely. There is a community knowledge of the offenders’ identities.”

A lawyer representing Ms Conlon asked was there any evidence linking his client to the charges other than having been found in the car, to which the police officer said “no”.

“We believe it was joint enterprise, that they all knew what was doing,” she added.

District Judge Steven Keown said he would allow Ms Conlon bail under strict conditions.

These included staying at an address approved by police, not entering Belfast apart from for GP appointments or court, no alcohol and no contact with her co-accused, as well as a 9pm to 7am curfew and an electronic tag.

The case is next to be mentioned on January 15.