A businessman was told he would be shot dead unless he gave the Official IRA
£10,000, the High Court has heard. Money was demanded from the Newry-based victim
for registering on the organisation's "Richter scale" over the alleged selling of steroids, prosecutors said. In a series of phone calls he was warned that he and his family were under surveillance and that he would be left with nothing if he did not comply.
Details emerged as one of two men accused of trying to blackmail him was refused bail. Michael Drummond (28), a car and furniture trader of Annsville Close in Newry, is accused of demanding money with menaces.
He was arrested after payments totalling £5,000 were made to the co-accused at two meetings in a Newry retail park this month. Drummond is not alleged to have been present at either rendezvous or to have made the threatening phone calls. According to the prosecution, however, he is linked through voice recognition on an earlier call to police allegedly staged to divert suspicions.