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Tyrone man admits terror offences linked to bomb attack on PSNI officer

Charges linked to a bomb blast which in Spamount near Castlederg which left officer with serious leg injuries

Ashleigh Mcdonald, 19 Apr

A 45-year old man today (Wednesday) admitted two terrorists offences linked to a 2008 bomb attack on a police officer.

Gavin Coyle appeared at Belfast Crown Court where he pleaded

guilty

to a charge of membership of the IRA.

From Mullaghmore Drive in Omagh, Coyle also admitted providing property for the purposes of terrorism - namely an Audi A4 - on dates between May 10 and 13, 2008.

Both charges are linked to a bomb blast which took place in Spamount near Castlederg in

Co Tyrone

on May 12, 2008. A police officer was on his way to work when the under-car device exploded, resulting in him sustaining serious leg injuries.

In the aftermath of the incident, Coyle was charges with three offences - namely attempting to murder the constable on May 12, 2008, causing an explosion likely to endanger life on the same date, and being a member of the IRA between May 9 and 13, 2008.

He initially denied all three offences and a non-jury trial was scheduled to commence this week.

After being called into the dock today, his barrister asked that he be re-arraignment on the membership charge - and he pleaded guilty to belonging to or professing to belong to the IRA on dates between May 1, 2007 and May 13, 2008.

A fresh fourth charge was then levelled at Coyle - namely supplying the car used in the May 2008 terrorist attack - and when asked how he pleaded to the charge of providing property for the purposes of terrorism, he replied ‘guilty’.

A prosecuting barrister told Judge Patricia Smyth the two guilty pleas were “acceptable to the Crown”.

Regarding the charges of attempting to murder the police officer and causing the explosion, the prosecutor said there would be “no action taken at this stage”.

He added a Crown application in relation to the two counts “is anticipated in due course” and they are “not likely to trouble the court”.

Gavin Coyle pictured in 2011

Judge Patricia Smyth listed the plea hearing for June 16 and expressed the hope that by that date the issues regarding these two counts “will be resolved”.

The Belfast Recorder also spoken of an “inevitable outcome” in light of the guilty pleas entered by Coyle, who was granted continuing bail ahead of sentencing.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage

here

and

here.