A DISSIDENT republican terrorist currently serving a ten year sentence over an arms and explosives cache has faced a court charged with trying to murder a Catholic police officer seven years ago
Gavin Coyle, 38, from Culmore Park, Omagh, was arrested yesterday at Maghaberry Prison where he is currently serving a ten-year sentence for having a stockpile of guns and explosives.
At heavily guarded Strabane Magistrates’ Court today, Coyle was formally accused of attempting to murder off-duty PSNI officer Ryan Crozier in May 2008 and causing an explosion likely to endanger life or seriously damage property.
He is also charged with membership of the IRA.
The charges relate to an attack on off-duty Consable Crozier as he set off for work in Enniskillen PSNI station.
The under car booby trap device, which contained Semtex, detonated under his car at Spamount in Castlederg, leaving him with horrific injuries.
During his police interviews yesterday, detectives from the PSNI’s Terrorist Investigation Unit put it to Coyle that he was present at a dissident republican bomb making meeting which police had bugged and his voice was heard on the recordings.
It was also put to him that police had CCTV evidence of him near Constable Crozier’s home in Spamount.
In December 2013, Coyle pleaded guilty to membership of a proscribed organisation, possession of explosives with intent to endanger life and possession of assault rifles and ammunition with intent between October 31, 2010 and April 6, 2011.
AK47 asault rifle seize at Mountjoy Road premises
The weapons, explosives and other terrorist matrial were found in a lock-up garage in coalisland, Co Tyrone by Serious Crime Branch detectives investigating the murder of PSNI constable Ronan Kerr on Saturday, April 2, 2011.
Constable Kerr was killed by an undercar booby trap bomb which exploded under his Ford Focus car as he about to leave his home in Omagh and go to work.
Belfast Crown Court heard that on Tuesday, April 5, 2011, police raided the lock-up garage and office complex at Mountjoy Road, Washing Bay, Coalisland and inside found three cars and a Ford Transit van.
Prosecuting counsel Ciaran Murphy QC said that the three cars – a Seat Leon, a Vauxhall Astra and a Ford Focus – had all been stolen from a car dealer during a robbery in the Toomebridge area of Co Antrim in September 2010.
He told deputy Belfast Recorder Judge Corinne Philipott QC that the Ford Transit van had been hijacked in Toomebridge in November 2010.
The prosecuting counsel said that inside the grey Seat Leon car a police officer found three AK47 assault rifles in the rear passenger area along with a magazine wrapped in black tape and attached to it were a number of rounds of ammunition.
A black plastic was also found to contain loose rounds of ammunition.
The court heard that a fourth AK47 assault rifle was found in a toilet block within the complex.
Crown counsel said that Army Technical Officers (ATO) were tasked to the scene along with senior police officers.
The court heard that under the bonnet of the Ford Transit van police found further rounds of ammunition.
A bomb timer unit seized at Mountjoy Road
Mr Murphy said that the ATO examined all four vehicles and recovered items which contained explosives. Also uncovered was a Cuba cigar case which was found to contain black powder.
Other items seized during the search, the court was told, included Semtex-H explosives, incendiary devices, detonating cord and detonators, Timer Power Units, rocket propellant, homemade grenade initiators, a quantity of improvised incendiary devices, six loaded magazines and ammunition.
“The assault rifles dated back to the 1980s,” said Mr Murphy.
The court heard that Coyle, who was a welder by trade, was linked to the arms find through DNA evidence and also by PETN and RDX explosives residue which was found on his clothing.
Coyle, who is due for release next year, is the subject of a 15 year notification period under Section 40 of the Counter Terrorism Act.
It means he must notify the police on release from prison his place of residence and details of any vehicle he drives.
Tags: