PSNI bomb attack: Gavin Coyle sentence to be appealed

The attack on the off-duty officer happened near Castlederg in May 2008

Prosecutors are to appeal a dissident republican's sentence for his role in the attempted murder of an off-duty Catholic police officer.

The Real IRA bomb attack happened at Spamount, near Castlederg, in 2008.

Gavin Coyle, 46, from Mullaghmore Drive, Omagh, was jailed for at least four years at Belfast Crown Court on 6 October and told he would serve another two on licence.

He provided the car used to carry the bomb and also admitted IRA membership.

On Tuesday, the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) confirmed it was referring the sentence to the Court of Appeal as "potentially unduly lenient".

The decision was taken by the director of public prosecutions, Stephen Herron, and papers were lodged with the court office last week.

The case will now be listed for a hearing by the Court of Appeal.

Gavin Coyle on his way to an earlier hearing

The officer was left with "permanent disfiguring injuries" after the Real IRA attack, an earlier hearing was told.

He suffered serious leg injuries and was rescued by a member of the public, who dragged him from the wreckage shortly before it burst into flames.

Coyle had previous convictions for weapons offences.

The judge said his offending was "indicative of a person committed to acts of terrorism".

She described the attack as cowardly, calculated and cold-blooded and said it was "carried out with one aim: to take the life of a police officer".