An alleged hijacker told the victim he had a gun, so he was taking either his car or his life, a court heard on Saturday.
Lisburn Magistrates Court also heard that before the incident on January 25 this year, Robert McKee was confronted by police in the grounds of Craigavon Area Hospital where, after he ripped out an IV line against officers’ advice, and in circumstances where police had been told he is HIV+, the 45-year-old allegedly scooped blood in his hand and was observed to “flick it towards the officers”.
Standing in the dock McKee, from Weavers Avenue in Donaghcloney, was charged with nine offences including hijacking, attempted hijacking, kidnap, making a threat to kill, assault, assault on police, driving while banned and without insurance as well as taking a car without consent.
Giving evidence during a contested application for bail, Detective Constable Slevin told the court police were tasked to Craigavon Area Hospital around 4am on January 25 “following an abandoned 999 call” and when officers arrived they spoke to McKee.
Despite officers’ advice about the potential dangers of removing his IV line without medical help, McKee “forcibly removed” the cannula “ripping it from his arm” and knowing the 45-year-old suffers from HIV the officers “stepped back to create distance.”
“He proceeded to scoop blood in is hand and flick it towards the officers,” said DC Slevin.
Around two hours later a concerned member of the public stopped when he saw a man “acting erratically” so he pulled over to check on him but the male, alleged to be McKee, walked to the passenger side and got into the VW Polo.
The court heard claims that McKee threatened “I have a gun - it’s your life or the car” as he ordered the terrified victim to drive to Belfast.
The detective said however the complaint drove to the nearby industrial estate where he worked, “believing it was a place of safety” and as he got out of the car he tried to take the keys with him but instead, McKee got into the driver’s seat and sped off.
The court heard that around this time, police received a further report of a man matching McKee’s description “jumping on the bonnet of an ambulance,” getting into the drivers seat and trying to drive away, only thwarted by anti-theft technology.
DC Slevin said that since then, McKee has been “actively evading police,” adding that she was objecting to bail due to concerns about further offending “and not adhering to conditions.”
Under cross examination from defence solicitor James Hillis the officer agreed that Hillis had been awaiting treatment, and potential admission to intensive care, when the incident unfolded at Craigavon Area Hospital.
He also agreed that during police interviews McKee was firmly convinced in his own mind that “the IRA, hospital staff and police were colluding to kill him.”
Mr Hillis told the court that McKee suffers from a number of serious health conditions, “is on a battery of medications” and clearly, has been suffering from some type of mental health episode.
He revealed that such was the state of the defendant’s mind that interviewing police officers abandoned the questioning session after he was deemed unfit for interview due to delirium.
While the lawyer submitted that McKee could be bailed to live with his father, District Judge Anne Marshall told him “there is absolutely no way that I’m going to allow him to walk out that door today.”
“He is clearly a risk to the public and a risk of further offending,” said the judge, adding that with concerns over McKee’s mental health Mr Hillis could asked the prison authorities to conduct a psychiatric assessment.
McKee was remanded into custody to appear again on February 28.
