Terror accused was out on licence when arrested

Belfast Crown Court was told that Robert Warnock O’Neill, 39, of Bingnian Drive, Belfast, has been on remand awaiting trial for almost 22 months on six terrorist-related offences.

He is accused of membership of a proscribed organisation, namely Oglaigh na hEireann (ONH), conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, false imprisonment, making or collecting information on alleged drug dealers, possession of a firearm with intent and having it in suspicious circumstances.

It is alleged the offences were committed on dates between December 1, 2013 and June 25, 2014.

Prosecution barrister Robin Steer told the court that O’Neill was one of five defendants linked to a property at Aspen Walk in Dunmurry, Belfast, and that police had covert recordings of conversations.

He said that O’Neill was linked to the property on two dates, the first being in December 2013 when his voice was heard discussing “paramilitary strategy and the targeting of drug dealers on behalf of ONH’’.

Judge Gordon Kerr QC was told that on the second date in February 14, 2014, O’Neill was also linked by voice analysis to the house where a “suspected drug dealer, called ‘PB’, was being imprisoned and was being aggressively interrogated by this defendant and two others”.

The prosecution lawyer said that O’Neill’s co-defendants have now all been released on bail, but the Crown were objecting to O’Neill being released on similar terms given his criminal record.

The court heard O’Neill had a conviction in November 1998 for hijacking a bus armed with a firearm on the Glen Road in west Belfast.

Mr Steer said that O’Neill had been sentenced to two and a half years in jail and three years on licence in November 2011 after he was convicted of attempted wounding and possession of a firearm.

“This related to an attempted punishment in the St James’s Road area of west Belfast where a male was shot and slightly injured,” said the prosecutor.

“During the course of this incident the revolver jammed and police arrived on the scene and detained four males in a car and seized a firearm.

“At the time of these current offences for which he is awaiting trial, he was on licence for attempted wounding and possession of a firearm.”

Defence solicitor Philip Breen said O’Neill had now been on remand for almost 22 months and there was no prospect in the “foreseeable future’’ of a possible trial date.

He told Judge Kerr QC that O’Neill had been granted compassionate bail in May 2015 for several hours and £50,000 was put up as surety to secure his release.

“I have spoken to my client’s brother who is prepared to put up a £5,000 cash surety to secure his release on the same stringent terms as his four co-accused,” he added.

Judge Gordon Kerr QC said he was aware that O’Neill’s co-defendants had been released on strict terms given the lengthy period of time they had spent on remand.

But he said O’Neill had been on licence for less than a year when he allegedly committed these further offences.

“Given the risk to the public and also the risk of reoffending, I refuse this application for bail,” he added.