Ex Territorial Army soldier to face court charged over hoax bomb calls to Derry Sinn Fein poiticians
EXCLUSIVE: THIS is the former Royal Irish officer who faces a court today charged with making hoax bomb alerts at the homes of two Sinn Féin politicians in Derry.
Eric Rohloff, who held the rank of ‘Major’ , is facing a total of 14 charges when he appears in a magistrate’s court later today.
Rohloff, who turns 40 next month, has been charged with:
- seven counts of communicating information which he knew to be false that explosive devices at either Sinn Fein offices or the homes of Sinn Fein politicians and a primary school in Luton, England;
- two counts of threatening to kill a Sinn Fein MLA;
- one count of improper use of communications to cause anxiety,
- and two charges of wasting police time.
The charges relate to offences alleged committed last year when voter’s went to the polls in the Westminster General Election.
Some of the offences were also allegedly committed either side of May 5 2015.
Count five on the bill of indictment states that “on May 4, 2015, Rohloff communicated certain information which you knew or believed to be false to another person, namely Samaratins Omagh, with the intention of inducing in Samaratins Omagh, or some other person a false belief that a bomb or other thing liable to explode or ignite was present at Martina Anderson’s home in Derry”.
Count ten on the bill of indictment states that on “May 5, 2015, he communicated certain information which you knew or believed to be false to another person, namely Sinn Fein Centre Waterside, Derry, with the intention of inducing in Sinn Fein Centre, or some other person a false belief that a bomb or other thing liable to explode or ignite was present at Martina Anderson’s home in Derry”.
Sinn Fein MEP Martina Anderson
Count 11 on the bill of indictment states Defendant on “May 5, 2015, Rohloff, communicated certain information which you knew or believed to be false to another person, namely Sinn Fein Centre, Derry, with the intention of inducing in Sinn Fein Centre, or some other person a false belief that a bomb or other thing liable to explode or ignite was present at Raymond McCartney’s home”.
Count 12 on the bill of indictment states that on “May 4, 2015, he communicated certain information which you knew or believed to be false to another person, namely Samaritans Coleraine, with the intention of inducing in Samaratins Coleraine, or some other person a false belief that a bomb or other thing liable to explode or ignite was present at Martina Andersons home”.
Another charge reads that he contacted the Andersonstown Newpaper in west Belfast claiming to be from the UV.
The caller claimed that a bomb had been left at the west Belfast home of Sinn Fein president and Louth TD Gerry Adams.
Rohloff, of Clifton Road in Bangor, Co Down, has to sign on bail several times a week as he awaits his trial.
Up until his arrest Rohloff was a customer services representative for Firstsource Solutions, which has premises in Derry and Belfast.
Rohloff is due before Belfast Magistrates’ Court later today for his hearing.
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