THE MAN accused of murdering former Fermanagh under-21 GAA player Ciaran Woods (36) in the kitchen of a bungalow near the village of Tempo on Tuesday appeared yesterday in court in Strabane.
Gary Philip Moane (34), from Lisolvan Park, Brookeborough, Co Fermanagh, was charged with murdering Mr Woods in the bungalow at Edenmore Road. He is also charged with wounding with intent Kathleen McQuaid and with threatening to kill Damien Crudden. He is additionally charged with hijacking a car. Those offences are also alleged to have occurred on Tuesday.
The defendant arrived in police custody at Strabane Magistrate’s Court. He held a blue blanket over his head to conceal his face.
Shortly afterwards, he was brought before District Judge Liam McNally, handcuffed to a prison officer. The defendant did not speak during the brief remand hearing and only nodded his head to indicate he understood the charges against him.
Det Sgt Stephen McIntosh formally connected the defendant to the charges but no details of the police case were given, because no application for bail was made by defence solicitor Gary Smith.
Several members of the defendant’s family were in court for the hearing, after which the defendant was remanded in custody. He will appear in court again via a video-link hearing in Enniskillen Magistrate’s Court on August 16th.