Two men in court on charges linked to Caldwell shooting

Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot and seriously injured in 2023

Two men have appeared in court charged in relation to the attempted murder of senior police officer John Caldwell in February 2023.

The detective chief inspector was off duty when he was shot several times at a sports complex after coaching a youth football team in Omagh, County Tyrone.

The New IRA has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Liam Robinson, 45, of Ardstewart in Stewartstown, and Caoimhin Murphy, 25, of Altowen Park in Coalisland, appeared before Dungannon Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, via videolink, charged with the preparation of terrorist acts and perverting the course of justice.

The two men were arrested and detained under the Terrorism Act on Monday.

When the charges were put to Mr Robinson and Mr Murphy, neither responded.

A Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) detective sergeant told the court that police could connect both men to the charges.

He said police believed the accused were involved in preparations and the moving of vehicles for both a prior attempt to carry out an attack on Mr Caldwell on 1 February 2023, and the shooting that took place three weeks later on 22 February 2023.

The officer said the initial plan to attack Mr Caldwell at the same sports complex did not go ahead as the senior officer was not there.

The detective sergeant said Mr Robinson and Mr Murphy were believed to be involved in the destruction of one of the cars involved in the shooting, which was found burnt out in Ardboe, County Tyrone.

'Significant CCTV trawl'

The detective sergeant told the court the cases against Mr Robinson and Mr Murphy were "complex" and circumstantial, based on CCTV footage, police observations, communications, the inactivity of mobile phones and vehicle movements.

He said there had been "a significant CCTV trawl across the country" since the investigation began.

The officer told the court that in the days and weeks leading to the shooting, both of the accused had either been communicating with those believed to be the gunmen or had met up with them face to face for a "walk and talk" on occasion.

The court heard Mr Robinson's car had also been seen on CCTV in Belfast, days before the shooting, where police believe he transported Mr Murphy to collect one of the cars involved in the shooting; and in Ardboe the night one of the cars, a Ford Fiesta, was found burnt out.

A solicitor representing Mr Murphy argued that despite "thousands of hours of CCTV" being analysed in the investigation, there was not "one iota of surveillance" linking his client to either the scene of the shooting or getting into or out of any of the vehicles used.

The solicitor also said there had been no DNA or clothing fibres belonging to Mr Murphy linked to the scene or the cars either.

Meanwhile, Mr Robinson's solicitor made a similar argument, adding that there was no CCTV or evidence placing the accused at the scene of the shooting or in the industrial estate where one of the cars was burnt.

'Remains to this day'

A prosecution barrister said the case was "most circumstantial in its truest form" and that there were many strands to it.

But she said that when the court layers all of the actions together, there was "sufficient evidence to connect both of the accused to the charges".

The judge told the court he was "satisfied both defendants can be connected" to the charges.

In respect of Mr Robinson, an application for bail was made with his solicitor telling the court that 16 other co-defendants charged in relation to the shooting were on bail, including those charged with more serious offences like attempted murder.

A prosecution barrister told the court that Mr Robinson is currently being investigated in connection with a previous illegal republican parade in Creggan, Londonderry, which was linked to the New IRA.

She said Mr Robinson also had a record of "indicating violence" that includes threats to kill a police officer in 2022 and that he has a mindset that is "sympathetic to violent republican activity".

The senior police officer said both of the accused were linked to Saoradh, which police have previously described as the political voice of the New IRA.

The judge rejected Mr Robinson's bail application and said the "risk of reoffending was real".

The judge added that the risk to Mr Caldwell's life "remains to this day, with his name appearing on a bonfire in the Creggan estate as we speak".

Both men were remanded into custody.

Mr Murphy will appear in court again on 20 August to make a bail application, while Mr Robinson will appear at court on 2 September.