A prominent republican and alleged former IRA member has gone on trial for trying to kill a part-time UDR soldier almost 30 years ago.
Belfast Crown Court heard that Terence Gerard McGeough, 51, was shot in the chest by the intended victim Samual John Brush as the part-time soldier and full-time postman fought back when he was attacked by two men in June 1981.
McGeough, from the Carrycastle Road, Gortmerron Dungannon, is accused of attempting to murder Mr Brush, possessing two Colt revolvers used in the attack and two counts of being a member of the IRA on dates between January 1975 and June 1981.
Alongside him in the dock is Vincent McAnespie, 47, from Aghabo Close in Aughnacloy, who denies possessing the guns and ammunition with intent to endanger life and under suspicious circumstances and a further charge of impeding the apprehension of McGeough by hiding the pistols.
Opening the Crown case prosecuting QC Gordon Kerr told the court that given the security situation at the time, it was Mr Brush's habit to carry his legally-held, .38 Smith & Wesson revolver loaded and in a shoulder holster.
It is the Crown case that McGeough was the gunman who was shot by the intended victim as he was later treated for a gunshot wound at a Dublin hospital before going on the run and that McAnespie hid the guns in a neighbour's yard after they told police he told them "don't say that you saw me - you are under threat now".
The lawyer said that Mr Brush was making a delivery to a house north of Aughnocloy and had just put a letter through the letter box when he saw a "masked gunman" stepping out from an adjacent shed, turn in his direction and shot at him from about 12 feet.
"Fortunately for Mr Brush, it was his habit to wear body armour under his postal uniform," said Mr Kerr adding that as he fled, the part-time soldier felt shots hitting him in the chest, shoulder and back.
The lawyer said the postman realised then that there was "more than one gunman" as another masked man emerged from the door of the house but that he ran back to his postal van, trying to draw his gun using his left hand as his right shoulder had been injured.
"There were a number of further shots but by the time of the last shot, he had drawn his weapon and he decided to go back to the house with his weapon drawn," said Mr Kerr.
He outlined to Diplock, no jury judge Mr Justice Stephens how Mr Brush fired two shots at a gunman stood at the front door and that as he moved away, the part-time UDR man saw movements in a hedge to his left, firing another two shots into it.
Mr Brush was later treated in hospital for gunshot wounds and for collapsed lungs.
During a search operation two days later, police uncovered two revolvers, two bullets and eight spent cartridges and, along with the bullet head removed from Mr Brush, all were sent for forensic examination.
Both men were arrested in March 2007, McGeough as he left a polling station in Fermanagh where he was standing as a republican candidate.
During police interviews, both denied any involvement.
© UTV News