Shot Omagh officer moved house over security fears

Detective gunned down in suspected dissident attack once sold his home to keep address secret

A DETECTIVE fighting for his life after being shot in a suspected dissident Republican terror attack previously had to move house over security fears.

As Northern Irish leaders put on a show of unity yesterday, it emerged that Det Ch Insp John Caldwell had been forced to relocate after a data breach undermined his security.

DCI Caldwell was yesterday in a critical condition and under armed guard in hospital after being gunned down on Wednesday night at a sports complex in Omagh as he shouted to his 12-year-old son and other children to “run”.

The 48-year-old off-duty officer was putting footballs in the boot of his car after coaching youth football team Beragh Swifts FC. Police said children waiting to be picked up by their parents “ran for cover in sheer terror” as the shooting began. A small, dark-coloured car used in the attack was later found burnt out three miles away.

Police arrested three men aged 38, 45 and 47 under the Terrorism Act in connection with the attempted murder on Thursday. A fourth man, aged 22, was arrested in the early hours of yesterday morning at his home in Coalisland. Police also arrested a fifth man aged 43 in the Stewartstown area under the Terrorism Act. Two of the men in custody are believed to have been previously questioned over the murder of police officer Ronan Kerr, whose death in 2011 was investigated by DCI Caldwell.

DCI Caldwell has been involved in a number of major cases, including the investigation into the 2019 murder of journalist Lyra Mckee. As a high-profile officer, his personal security would have been monitored carefully and The Belfast Telegraph reported that his safety was put at risk a few years ago after his police title was included on mail sent to his house.

According to the paper, the father-ofone took it “very, very seriously” and sold his home in Co Tyrone and moved to a new location.

Police confirmed dissident Republican group the New IRA is now their primary line of inquiry and that DCI Caldwell remained critically ill.

Earlier representatives of Sinn Fein, the DUP, Alliance, the UUP and the SDLP took part in a joint press conference with Simon Byrne, Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, at police headquarters in Belfast.

Mr Byrne said the united political front showed the “sheer sense of outrage at this pointless and senseless attack”.

Peter Gormley, who was at the sports centre when the masked gunmen opened fire, told The Daily Telegraph that his Honda 4x4 has been taken away for forensic analysis after it was hit by stray bullets.

“There were nine or 10 shots,” he said. “Then we saw John lying on the ground with people all around him. I found out afterwards my car had bullet holes in it.”