Four Sinn Fein councillors were among 27 people charged at Cookstown Magistrates' Court yesterday with public order offences arising out of an Orange parade in the Co Tyrone village of Pomeroy last summer.
The defendants are accused of obstructing the local Orange lodge's annual church parade on Sunday, July 6th. They include the Sinn Fein chairman of Cookstown District Council, Mr Sean Begley (45), and three party colleagues, Cllr Finbar Conway (35), of Cookstown Council and two members of Dungannon District Council, Mr Michael Gillespie (43) and Mr Brendan Doris (46).
The case was adjourned until March 27th for the purpose of fixing a date for the hearing.