CONVICTED GARDA killer Martin McDermott, who escaped from custody in the low-security Loughan House prison in Co Cavan last Thursday, appeared in court in Derry at the weekend charged with committing six criminal offences linked to his arrest.
McDermott (26), Raphoe, Co Donegal, pleaded guilty to all six charges which included assaulting three police officers, resisting arrest, disorderly behaviour and damaging a set of PSNI handcuffs.
Six uniformed officers and six plainclothes officers, two of them from the PSNI’s extradition unit, were in court on Saturday for the remand hearing before Judge John Meehan.
Det Sgt David McQuade told Judge Meehan that he opposed bail for McDermott because of the fear of flight.
“He is currently unlawfully at large from a prison in Blacklion following his conviction for the manslaughter of a Garda officer in Co Donegal in 2009.
“That is our greatest concern, together with the fact that he has 91 previous criminal convictions in the Republic of Ireland and one in Northern Ireland for failing to answer police bail.”
Applying for bail, solicitor Keith Kyle, defending, said McDermott’s escape and arrest had attracted a lot of media attention. He said McDermott was admitting the Derry offences and wished the matter to be dealt with immediately.
Mr Kyle said his client’s mother and partner were willing to act as sureties in the event of bail being granted and that McDermott was willing to be electronically tagged as part of any bail conditions.
However, Judge Meehan refused bail and remanded McDermott in custody to appear in court again for a video link hearing on Thursday.
McDermott then shouted obscenities from the dock at the judge who ordered that he be taken into immediate custody.