Heavily armed officers stood guard today when a father of four was charged with a 200lb car bomb attack on a police station in Derry.
They took up position inside and outside a courthouse in the city when Philip O’Donnell (42) arrived in a police Land Rover to face 12 terrorist charges.
His wife and other family members and friends were in court for the hearing at Bishop Street. He remained silent.
O’Donnell, from Baldrick Crescent in the Rosemount area of Derry, was charged with causing an explosion likely to endanger life or of causing serious injury to property.
He is also charged with possessing explosives with intent, possessing a firearm or imitation firearm, hijacking a taxi and falsely imprisoning a taxi driver and membership of a banned republican organisation Oglaigh na hEireann.
The charges follow the car bombing by dissident republicans outside the police station on the city’s Strand Road last week.
O’Donnell was also accused of attempting to hijack two taxis, attempting to cause two explosions and possessing a firearm or imitation firearms. He is alleged to have committed those offences on August 1 and 2.
Chief Inspector Ian Magee, who told the court he could connect the defendant to the 12 charges, said he was opposed to bail being granted because of the serious nature of the charges, and because he believed the defendant would flee the jurisdiction. If convicted, he faced a lengthy jail sentence.
Mr Magee also told District Judge Barney McElholm he believed the defendant, who has a conviction for hijacking and possessing an offensive weapon dating back to 1988, would interfere with witnesses who have yet to be interviewed by detectives.
Cross-examined by defence solicitor Paddy MacDermott, the police officer said the evidence against the defendant was “forensic and other evidence”.
Applying for bail, Mr MacDermott said his client, who was arrested at his home last week, “has health issues and only walks with difficulty. His health issues require constant care”.
He said the defendant faced a lengthy period on remand until the forensic and technical investigations by the police were finalised.
Refusing bail, the judge described the charges as “very serious” and “related to a very serious incident recently”.
He remanded O’Donnell in custody to appear in court again for a video link hearing on September 2nd.
Judge McElholm said he hoped the police‘s forensic investigators would prioritise the case.