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Prominent republican facing charges of conspiracy to murder security forces Prominent republican charged with attempted murder of Belfast police
(about 1 hour later)
Prominent Armagh republican Colin Duffy is one of three men who have been charged with offences including conspiracy to murder members of the security forces. The prominent Irish republican Colin Duffy has been charged with the attempted murder of police officers in north Belfast.
Two of the men have been charged with a gun attack on police vehicles in north Belfast this month. His supporters later clashed with police outside Belfast magistrates court, where Duffy and two other men were remanded in custody.
All three, aged 46, 47 and 52, will appear at Belfast magistrates court in relation to the offences. Duffy, 47, from Lurgan in Co Armagh, was also accused of membership of the IRA and conspiring with the other defendants, Alex McCrory and Henry Fitzsimmons, to possess firearms and explosives with intent to endanger life or cause serious damage to property.
The two younger men are charged with aiding and abetting the attempted murder of police officers on Crumlin Road on 5 December and aiding and abetting the possession of firearms with intent to endanger life on the same date. There were no legal submissions.
All three are charged with conspiracy to murder members of the security forces, conspiracy to possess explosives with intent to endanger life, possession of firearms with intent to endanger life and membership of a proscribed organisation. A court service statement charged that Duffy had, "on dates unknown between the 1st day of January 2013 and the 16th day of December 2013, in the County Division of Belfast or elsewhere within the jurisdiction of the Crown Court, conspired with Alexander McCrory and Henry Fitzsimmons and with persons unknown to murder members of the security forces".
The men were arrested in Belfast and Lurgan on Sunday. Only the membership of the IRA charge was read out in open court.
The attack on police vehicles occurred during a loyalist protest against a ban on Orangemen being allowed to march back up the Crumlin Road from 12 July. McCrory, 52, from Belfast, was accused of conspiring to murder members of the security forces in their vehicles on the Crumlin Road, conspiracy to possess explosives and firearms and belonging to the IRA.
Two police Land Rovers and one mobile police sign were struck with bullets during the attack. Fitzsimmons, 46, of no fixed address, was charged with possession of firearms with intent, attempting to murder the officers on the Crumlin Road, belonging to the IRA and conspiracy with the other two accused to possess firearms and explosives.
Gunmen used a homemade raised platform to fire at the police from the republican Ardoyne district. Only the possession of firearms charges were read out in court.
The accused were remanded in custody to Maghaberry high-security prison to reappear before the court via video-link on 14 January.
Two people were arrested aduring the clashes outside the courthouse.
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