Third person is charged with Meenan murder just hours after uproar in court as two accused appear in dock
A teenager is due in court today accused of murdering a man in Londonderry.
The 19-year-old is the third person charged in connection with the murder of Edward Meenan in the Creggan Street area of the city last Sunday morning.
He is expected to appear before Omagh Magistrates Court this morning.
News of the murder charge came hours after two men appeared in court in Londonderry charged with Mr Meenan’s murder.
Extra police officers were on duty both inside and outside as dozens of relatives and friends of the victim packed into the public gallery of the city’s magistrates court for the brief hearing.
Sean Ciaran Joseph Rodgers (31), from Little Diamond in the Bogside area of the city, and Derek Cresswell (26), of no fixed abode, were charged with the murder of Mr Meenan, whose body was found in an alleyway at Creggan Street in the early hours on Sunday morning.
Police said that the 52-year-old had suffered significant injuries to his head and body.
In reply to the charge, Rodgers denied the offence and Cresswell made no response.
Before the defendants, both of whom were dressed in grey tracksuits, were brought from the cells into the dock for the hearing, District Judge Barney McElholm said if there were any outbursts, he would have no hesitation in ordering the packed public galleries to be cleared.
He said: “Before we start, obviously this is a very, very serious matter.
“I do not know who is represented in the public galleries but it is my practice not to tolerate any bad behaviour, shouting out or any interruption to the proceedings.
“These proceedings have to be conducted with dignity and decorum.
“A man has lost his life and another man, I have been told, has been seriously injured.
“Two people are facing the most serious charge any human being can face and I will have no hesitation to have this courtroom cleared if there are any disruptions.”
Two women wept in the public gallery as the defendants were brought into the dock. The murder charge was read out to both defendants by a court clerk and both spoke only to confirm their name, age, address and that they understood the charge.
A detective inspector from the PSNI’s Crime Operations Unit told the district judge that she could connect both defendants to the murder charge.
No details of the circumstances which led to and which caused Mr Meenan’s death were given.
Lawyers for both Rodgers and Cresswell told the district judge that they were not making bail applications.
When Mr McElholm remanded both defendants in custody to appear for a video-link hearing in the same court on December 20, there was uproar in the courtroom.
Some people in the public gallery shouted abuse at the two defendants and several people surged towards the dock which was surrounded by police officers. Meanwhile, detectives from the PSNI’s Major Investigation Team were granted another 36 hours to question a 17-yearold man about Mr Meenan’s death.
Officers have also appealed for three people who were in the area at the time to come forward.
Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell said: “I would like to speak to three people — two men and one woman — who I know were standing on the steps of a shop on Creggan Street at around 2.20am on Sunday.
“They were then given a lift from someone driving a dark-coloured, medium-sized car at around 2.30am. I would appeal to them to make contact with me as they may be able to provide some vital information.”