Men accused of rioting on the night Lyra McKee was killed granted bail

Patrick Gallagher, (29), of Gartan Square and 24-year-old Jude McCrory, of Magowan Park, are charged with rioting and throwing a petrol bomb on April 18, 2019.

Lyra McKee, a 29-year-old journalist, was shot dead whilst observing rioting in Creggan on that date.

An investigating officer told Derry Magistrate’s Court he believed he could connect Gallagher and McCrory to the charges.

There was no objection to bail, subject to a number of conditions.

Derwin Harvey, defence solicitor for both men, said the threshold to connect his clients to the charge is ‘very low’ and it was ‘accepted with a degree of hesitation’.

He said that the only evidence put to Gallagher and McCrory during interview was video footage which has been in possession of police since April 2019.

The solicitor told the court that this footage has been reviewed by senior lawyers and ‘something has changed and it now merits prosecution’.

Mr Harvey said that he would expect the case to be dealt with ‘expeditiously’ as the evidence has been in possession of the police for over two years,

He added that he hoped on the next occasion the Public Prosecution Service would be in a position to announce a date for preliminary enquiry or he would be requesting a review of the defendants bail conditions.

In respect of Gallagher, the solicitor told the court the 29-year-old ‘strenuously denies the allegations’.

He added that Gallagher was ‘involved in making a documentary and his role was no different to that of the documentary maker Reggie Yates. He takes issue with the fact that he faces these criminal charges’.

District Judge Barney McElholm said he agreed that the case ‘should, on the face of it, proceed fairly quickly’ as all the evidence is present.

He added: “I appreciate there may be reasons for attempting to try a number of people together and if that is going to cause unreasonable delay, no doubt the prosecution will bring that to the attention of the court.

Gallagher and McCrory were released on their own bail of £500, with one surety of £750, and ordered to abide by a curfew and be electronically tagged.

Both men were also banned from contacting each other or any other co-accused.

The case will be mentioned again on October 21.