Decorator’s bucket ‘used to post Caldwell claim’ in Derry

Detective Chief Superintendent John Caldwell

A painter and decorator allegedly provided a bucket used in posting the claim of responsibility for the attempt to murder a top PSNI detective on a gable wall, the High Court heard on Wednesday.

Prosecutors claimed William McDonnell was among the three men involved in putting up a note declaring that the New IRA carried out the attack on Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell in Omagh.

McDonnell, 37, of Balbane Pass in Derry, was refused bail on a charge of possessing an article for use in terrorism.

DCI Caldwell was shot repeatedly and seriously wounded in front of his young son at a sports complex just after he finished coaching a youth football team on February 22.

Seven men are currently in custody charged with his attempted murder.

On February 26 a typed letter appeared on a gable wall at Central Drive in Derry’s Creggan estate which featured a New IRA claim of responsibility for the assassination bid.

It stated that an active service unit had targeted the off-duty policeman “within our chosen kill zone” and warned that the terrorist grouping will be waiting in future for “Crown Force personnel”.

Based on CCTV and air support footage, a prosecution barrister contended the note was attached approximately 20 minutes before the message appeared on the Twitter account ‘Republic Media’.

She alleged that two co-accused, 23-year-old Caolan Brogan, of Bluebell Hill Gardens in Derry, and Tiarnan McFadden, 25, from Carnhill in the city, travelled together to McDonnell’s home a short time earlier on the same night.

The pair left the property 10 minutes later with what appeared to be a bucket and got back into McFadden’s car, counsel claimed.

The footage allegedly tracked the two suspects heading towards the gable wall and remaining there for approximately 50 seconds.

Three distinct flashes at the scene during that period were of photos being taken to upload the message onto social media, according to the prosecutor.

She claimed the two men then went back to the house, and that Brogan briefly got out of the car to return the bucket.

McDonnell’s barrister, Joe Brolly, insisted there is no evidence that he was even present on the night his co-accused allegedly attended the house.