Trio deny link to claim for Caldwell shooting

Three men from Londonderry have denied charges relating to the claim of responsibility for the attempted murder of Det Ch Insp John Caldwell.

The senior officer survived being shot multiple times at a sports complex in Omagh, County Tyrone, after taking a children's football training session on 22 February 2023.

A claim of responsibility for the New IRA attack was written on a piece of paper stuck on a wall in the Creggan area of Derry four days later.

Caolan Robert Brogan, 24, from Bluebellhill Gardens in Derry; Joseph Anthony Campbell, 23, of Gosheden Cottages and Tiarnan McFadden, 27, from Carnhill appeared at Belfast Crown Court, sitting in the Royal Courts of Justice, on Tuesday.

All three deny having articles for use in terrorism on 26 February 2023 - namely a document "claiming responsibility" for the attempted murder of Det Ch Insp John Caldwell and "a threat of future violence against members of the security forces".

Mr Campbell and Mr McFadden face a second charge of the "dissemination of terrorist publications".

They were charged with "electronically transmitting the contents of a terrorist publication" on the same date, namely a document containing a claim of responsibility for the attempted murder of Det Ch Insp John Caldwell and "a threat of future violence against members of the security forces".

Mr McFadden was charged first and replied "not guilty" to the second offence, and when Mr Campbell was charged, he also answered: "Not guilty."

A barrister for Mr Brogan told the court his client intended to ask for the second charge to be dropped.

A trial date was not set, but the judge said he would review the case in September.