Death threats for six McDaid witnesses
Six witnesses to the sectarian murder of Catholic father-of-four Kevin McDaid in Coleraine have received death threats, the High Court has heard.
Monday, 06 July 2009
The disclosure was made during a bail application by one of the six, Peter Neill, 42, from Westbourne Crescent, Coleraine, who is facing a charge of incitement to hatred.
Neill, who was in court, was arrested last month after he was alleged to have shouted sectarian abuse at loyalists erecting flags near his home.
He was granted bail last week on condition that he resided at an undisclosed address and observed a curfew from 10pm to 7am. A number of other conditions were also imposed.
On Monday he applied to have those conditions lifted.
Defence barrister Joe Brolly said the murder of Mr McDaid and its aftermath had become a very venomous affair.
He said a threatening poster showing Mr Neill's injuries after he had gone to help Mr McDaid had appeared at a bus shelter in Bushmills.
A poem circulating on the web identified Mr Neill and other witnesses to the murder and it was clear from the poem that his undisclosed address in Kilrea was well known.
Mr Brolly said Neill felt extremely unsafe and isolated living in Kilrea. His bail conditions meant that he was fixed in a certain place at certain times which created an obvious problem as he was living in a small village with no police station.
If the conditions were lifted he could live at one of several addresses in Coleraine where he would feel safer as the people in The Heights estate were vigilant.
Crown counsel Sheena Mehaffey opposed the application. She said police could protect Neill and look after his right to life.
Mr Justice Treacy said he accepted Neill's belief that he would feel safer living in The Heights because of the vigilance of people who knew him and also because there was a police station in the town.
The judge said he would lift the conditions on his residence and curfew so that Neill could reside in The Heights.
Mr Justice Treacy said he was also removing the ban on using private transport as the ban on public transport was disproportionate in light of the on-going threat to Neill's life.
© UTV News