Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
‘MEN PLOTTED FOR IRA’
Four accused after ‘plans’ secretly taped
FOUR men allegedly taped discussing IRA tactics went on trial yesterday accused of terrorist offences.
A prosecutor claimed when the secret recordings were taken with other circumstantial evidence, the court could infer “they are members of the IRA, carrying out activities on [its] behalf ”.
On trial are West Belfast men Mark Gerard Heaney and Daniel Joseph Anthony Mcclean, both 52, and from Lagmore Gardens.
They are in the dock with Kevin O’neill, 62, of Coolnasilla Park South and 41-year-old Robert Warnock O’neill, of Bingnian Drive.
On top of the alleged membership charge, they are accused of possession of firearms and conspiracy to attack suspected drug dealers, collecting information on dealers and possessing materials useful to terrorists.
Heaney and Robert O’neill also face separate charges of having a firearm with intent under suspicious circumstances.
With Mcclean they are also accused with collecting information on drug pushers and falsely imprisoning a suspected dealer.
Belfast Crown Court heard recordings made in a house in the west of the city in 2013 and 2014, captured them talking about punishment beatings and forcing people, including “a wee lad” to flee.
It was claimed in one tape, a suspected drug dealer was threatened with his “legs being taken off with a shotgun” if he did not inform on other alleged dealers.
The trial continues.