'Anorak and collector' on terror charges
Published Friday, 27 January 2012
A Downpatrick man, described by his defence solicitor as "a loner, nerd and anorak" who likes to collect Army memorabilia, has appeared in court charged with terrorism-related offences.
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Ryan Lavery, 27 and from Ballymote Park, was arrested on Wednesday over photos found on his computer of cars going in and out of Ballykinler Army base and list on paper of their registrations.
He's accused of gathering information which might be of use to terrorists.
Lavery was brought to a hearing in Bangor on Friday morning in a police van, with a significant security presence in and around North Down Magistrates' Court.
A detective told the court that the accused had been living near the Army base at the time the photographs were taken and that he had, during police interviews, admitted taking them and putting them on his computer.
Opposing bail, the detective said that police believe Lavery could have been collecting the information for others and that he had changed his name and address on several occasions.
But the accused's solicitor Joe Mulholland described his client as "a loner, an anorak and a trainspotter", who was not a terrorist and had no connections to any terrorist group.
He added that Lavery had a number of family members who worked for the Army.
District Judge Mark Hamill refused bail and the accused his due to reappear in court on February 23, although a bail application will be filed at the High Court next week.