Published Saturday, 01 September 2012
The men appeared at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Saturday. (© UTV)
Finbar Kelly, aged 35, and 46-year-old Joseph John McNally appeared at Belfast Magistrates' Court charged with possessing the fake gun with intent to cause fear of violence on Thursday 30 August.
Detective Constable Burnie told the court she believed she could connect both men to the charge and in objecting to them being released on bail, added that police uncovered a list of alleged drug dealers and users.
She described how the pair were arrested on Thursday when officers stopped a vehicle driven by McNally, who is from Oisin House in Belfast, with Kelly in the passenger seat.
A search uncovered the pellet gun under the passenger seat while a follow-up search of Kelly's Antrim Road home revealed a document.
"This document would threaten to do harm to as yet unknown individuals in the community in relation to perceived drug offences," claimed DC Burnie adding that police feared if released "they may inflict serious harm on persons in the community."
As well as the gun found in the car, officers also uncovered a claw hammer, gloves, balaclavas and a baseball bat but a prosecution lawyer amended the indictment to withdraw those items from the charge.
A solicitor for youth co-ordinator Kelly, and McNally, said the pair had denied any knowledge of the gun during police interview and claimed the document was nothing more than a scribble on a "scrap of paper" which could not be dated.
Remanding both Kelly and McNally into custody to appear again on 28 September, District Judge Harry McKibbin said he was "not prepared to take the chance" of releasing them.