A car occupied by four men accused of IRA membership was chased and stopped by a garda patrol in Co Donegal last year, the Special Criminal Court in Dublin heard yesterday.
The four Derry men are Gary Donnelly (38), Kildrum Gardens, Michael Gallagher (28), Sackville Court, Martin Francis O’Neill (40), Colmcille Court and Patrick John McDaid (38), Marlborough Street.
Sergeant Niall Coady told Patrick Marrinan SC, pros
ecuting, that he was observing the Nineteenth Hole pub in the Bridgend area, Co Donegal, on March 16th this year, when, at 3.10pm, he saw a Volkswagen Passat come from the Derry direction.
“There were four male occupants in the car. The car stopped right in front of me on the main road for possibly five seconds.
“I regarded the car as suspect and involved in unlawful activity, people using this car involved in IRA activity.
“I would’ve known the car for that reason,” he said.
Sgt Coady told the court that he was “familiar with some of the occupants of the car, with Patrick McDaid, who was driving, Martin O’Neill, in the passenger seat and Gary Donnelly, the back left seat passenger.”
Sgt Coady said that Donnelly “looked toward me and I looked at the car and the car immediately went forward toward Muff.
“I immediately followed this car before it did a U-turn on the main road in front of me and I did a similar move, intending to get the car stopped.”
“I moved alongside the car and pointed to the driver to pull in to the left.”
The car pulled into the hard shoulder 500 metres from the border with Northern Ireland.
Sgt Coady approached the car and took the names of the four male occupants. They were the four accused.
“I had a suspicion at the time that these men were engaged in IRA activities.”
He said that he “asked the driver where they were going to and the driver said that they were going for a quick pint in the Nineteenth Hole, possibly to watch football. He [the driver] said they didn’t because the pub was packed.
“I had already seen that the pub was not packed so didn’t regard this as a truthful account of their movements.”
Sgt Coady said that he then called for assistance and that the four men got out of the car.
“Mr Donnelly approached me and asked me what would I do if they went to walk towards the border? My response was that they’d have to carry out that action before I’d answer it.”
Sgt Coady said that assistance arrived and at 3.45pm he arrested Mr McDaid and brought him to Letterkenny Garda Station.
The trial continues.
(See further coverage on Page 11)
