Two appear in court over murder of gangland boss Robbie Lawlor in Belfast

The 36-year-old underworld figure was gunned down outside a house in north Belfast earlier this year.

Patrick Teer, 45, from Thornberry Hill in the city, and Adrian Holland, 37, with an address at Woodleigh Terrace in Londonderry, are jointly charged with the murder.

Appearing together at Belfast Magistrates’ Court, both men also faced a further count of possessing a firearm - namely a 9mm pistol - with intent to endanger life.

A judge was told the alleged evidence against them is based on number plate recognition and cell site analysis.

Lawlor was shot dead in broad daylight at Etna Drive in the Ardoyne district on April 4.

He is believed to have been assassinated after travelling to the area to collect a drug debt.

A gunman emerged and opened fire, hitting the victim several times. He died at the scene.

Stray bullets also struck a car parked outside the property, narrowly missing one of Lawlor’s associates.

Originally from Dublin, Lawlor was widely reported to have been heavily involved in a feud between rival Drogheda-based factions.

He had been linked to the abduction and murder of 17-year-old Keane Mulready-Woods in January this year.

Teer and Holland appeared remotely from a police custody suite in Belfast.

Both men spoke only to confirm they understood the charges.

Defence representatives confirmed neither accused was seeking bail at this stage.

Solicitor Ciaran Toner, representing Teer, said: “This is an incredibly complex, circumstantial case based on ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) and cell site analysis.”

District Judge Steven Keown remanded Teer and Holland in custody, to appear again by video-link on January 8.

A previous court heard Lawlor was murdered at an appointment he had set up in a supermarket car park, a court heard today.

Detectives claimed he met a suspect to exchange cash in Crumlin, Co Antrim 24 hours before the killing.

Arrangements were then made for a follow-up call at a house on Etna Drive.

When Lawlor arrived to keep that appointment he was shot dead.

According to police it was sheer good luck that others in the street were not hurt or killed.

A Volkswagen Scirocco, thought to have been used as a getaway car, was found burnt out in a nearby street minutes later.