Drugs accused '˜under threat from New IRA'

Prosecutors claimed actions being linked to the New IRA grouping could put public safety at risk if the defendant was released from custody.

Details emerged as bail was refused to the 26-year-old accused. He is not being named for legal reasons.

The man faces charges of possessing cocaine and clephedrone with intent to supply.

Conor Maguire, prosecuting, said police investigating a separate assault in the city found the drugs during searches of a flat linked to the accused in July 2015.

Officers discovered a block of cocaine with a street value conservatively estimated at £10,600, the court heard.

Clephedrone said to be worth £12,5000 was also located during the raid.

Fingerprint evidence and DNA found on packaging allegedly links the accused to the drugs.

Mr Maguire disclosed that the man has received up to four threats from the organisation styling itself as the New IRA.

“Police describe these threats as being credible threats,” the barrister said.

“Dissident republicans in Derry have targeted and shot and seriously injured suspected drug dealers in the city over the last five years.”

In another incident last year, the accused was allegedly chased by an armed and masked gang which fired shots into the roof of a pub in the Creggan estate, according to the prosecution.

Months later, the defendant and another man were said to have been at a house in the same area when two gunmen approached them and opened fire.

Opposing bail, Mr Maguire said: “There’s concern from a police perspective for public safety given the behaviour of this applicant and masked and armed men.”

A defence barrister argued that his client should be released from custody over alleged offences that took place nearly a year ago.

He added that the accused’s mother went to a community representative to assess the threat against him.

According to the defence, the man was informed the threat would not be “live” if he lived outside part of the city.

But denying bail, Mr Justice Treacy cited the risk of re-offending.