The attempted murder of two police officers in Strabane was part of a “pre-planned attack” with the intent to kill, a court has heard.
Charlie Love, 30, from Bridge Street, Strabane, is facing multiple charges in connection with a bomb attack on police officers in the County Tyrone town on 17 November 2022. He has denied two counts of attempting to murder members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), one count of causing an explosion likely to endanger life, and one count of possessing explosives with the intent to endanger life.
His partner, Symone Murphy, 28, from the same address, also appeared at Belfast Crown Court on Monday, charged with withholding information that might assist terrorists.
‘A Large Flash and a Loud Bang’
Prosecutor Ciaran Murphy KC told the court that Mr Love’s DNA was found on the device discovered at the scene. On the day in question, a police patrol in Strabane reported seeing a “large flash and a loud bang” as their vehicle passed through the Mount Carmel Heights area of the town.
Detectives later found a crater at a building site, and follow-up searches and forensic tests revealed that a military-grade explosive had been used. A command wire, leading to what police suspect was a firing point near a tree stump, was also discovered.
Forensic testing of several items, including the trigger of the firing mechanism, a drill, the command wire closest to the firing point, and a metal post at the site of the explosion, all showed a DNA profile matching that of Mr Love, the court was told. A drill and wiring, believed to be the trigger mechanism, were also found.
Arrest and Allegations
Mr Love was arrested on Derry Road the day after the incident, and during four interviews, he gave a “no comment” response when questioned. He was released on 20 November but was rearrested on 13 December when DNA results were returned.
In further interviews, Mr Love again refused to answer questions, but when confronted with the DNA evidence, he provided a prepared statement. In his statement, he claimed that a man affiliated with Saoradh, a political party linked to the New IRA, approached him on 17 November. He alleged that the man asked him to take a drill in a bag to a waste ground at Mount Carmel Heights.
The prosecution also argued that Ms Murphy was aware that Mr Love was not at their property at the time of the explosion. It was claimed that she would have known that the whereabouts of Mr Love would have been crucial to the subsequent police investigation.
The trial continues.
