Man remanded on kidnap charges in Belfast

A 39-year-old man appeared in court today charged with kidnapping a mother and her young son for ransom.

Stephen McStravick, of Vianstown Park, Downpatrick, Co Down, faced a total of five charges when he appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court.

He was accused of kidnapping and assaulting and injuriously imprisoning Emma Crane and her four-year-old son, Matthew.

The mother and son were snatched from their home in Killough, County Down, last Wednesday and held for 12 hours in a vacant house in south Belfast.

Her partner was ordered to go to his place of work, collect a sum of money and deliver it to a pre-agreed point in Belfast.

McStravick was also accused of robbing Brinks Island of £85,000 (€107,573) and assaulting Ms Crane’s partner, Johnathan Loughlin.

McStravick was remanded in custody until June 30 after police objected to bail.

A detective told the court that a significant amount of the money was still missing and expressed concern that witnesses could be interfered with.

He said a number of other people were still wanted by police – it was believed five had been involved in the kidnapping.

McStravick, a father of five, was familiar with members of the kidnap victims’ wider family.

The court heard there was no forensic evidence against the accused but that he had been identified as being at a Spar shop in Belfast’s Ravenhill Road, where three items identical to those found in the house where the mother and child had been held were discovered.

Ms Crane and her son managed to free themselves from the house in the Ravenhill Road area and raised the alarm. They were shaken but physically unharmed.