Two men denied bail over ‘paramilitary-style kidnap’

TWO men have appeared before Londonderry Magistrates Court accused of kidnapping another in the city last week.

Damien Donaghey (31) and George Patrick McBrearty (33) have been jointly charged with kidnapping the 37-year-old at Westway in Creggan last Thursday night.

The pair were arrested three miles away at Skeoge Road shortly after the alleged incident.

On Saturday morning they both appeared at a special sitting of the Magistrates Court, where members of the PSNI’s Major Investigation Team were granted an additional 36 hours to continue to question them.

In court yesterday a detective constable told District Judge Michael Ranaghan that at 9pm last Thursday a member of the public reported that they had seen two men get out of a 4x4 Toyota and take a man from a van into their vehicle.

The complainant told police that up to four men were involved in the incident and that he was taken to a wooded area near Kildrum Gardens in Creggan, where he was interrogated and threatened by two men who said they were going to shoot him.

He told officers that he was kept for 30 minutes.

The vehicle was found parked at Clon Elagh on Skeoge Road just before 11pm.

The officer said that Donaghey, of Circular Road in the Creggan area of Derry, was the driver and McBrearty, from Burnfoot in Co Donegal, was a front seat passenger.

Both were seen walking away from the vehicle before they were stopped and arrested by officers. Police discovered a machete and a hammer inside the Toyota.

The court heard officers found a mobile phone on Donaghey that contained photographic details of the make and registration number of the van driven by the victim.

The detective constable said that city centre CCTV footage also showed Donaghey following

George McBrearty (left) and Damien Donaghey at court, where they were accused of kidnapping a man

the man earlier last Thursday. He added that after both men were arrested they made no comment during interviews.

Opposing bail, the detective constable said it was “a paramilitary-style assault on a parcel delivery driver”, adding that investigations into the incident were ongoing.

“We are still compiling their movements with the assistance of CCTV as we believe two other men were involved. We believe those involved had intimate knowledge of the van driver’s movements,” he said.

“The main witness is fearful because of the paramilitary-style incident and he says he is in considerable fear.”

He added that during follow-up door-to-door enquiries by police, groups of youths threw stones at officers.

Applying for bail, defence solicitor Paddy McGurk said the complainant had contacted the police on Friday to indicate that he no longer wished to be part of the investigation.

“Furthermore, he made a statement this morning in the presence of his solicitor saying he does not wish the police to proceed any further,” Mr McGurk said.

“He also states he felt pressurised into saying things to the police. He is not prepared to proceed any further with his complaint.”

Part of the complainant’s statement was then read out in court.

It stated: “As the investigators pressurised me into making a statement about matters, I do not wish to pursue.”

Mr McGurk said there was “no evidence against both defendants, there is no injured party, there is no fingerprint evidence and there is no evidence connecting them to the offence.

“Both defendants are entitled to the presumption of innocence,” he added.

“There is no injured party before the court to say he was held and taken away against his will.”

However, the District Judge said he was satisfied there was a real risk of interference with other witnesses, and together with the serious nature of the charge, he was refusing bail.

Both defendants were remanded in custody until November 23.