A MAN supplied dissident republican terror chiefs with information on where a prison officer goes rambling with his children, the High Court heard yesterday.
Joseph Pearce also told a secret-ly recorded meeting of suspected Continuity IRA leaders that British soldiers outside a university campus near Belfast would be "such a handy touch", prosecutors claimed.
Bail was refused to the 45-year-old allegedly referred to by a co-accused as providing a "world of information" on potential security force targets.
Pearce, Clogharevan Park in Bess-brook, Co Armagh is further accused of detailing how the location of a wealthy businessman's home makes him vulnerable to coercion and robbery.
He is charged with two counts of collecting information likely to be of use to terrorists based on a covert MI5 recording operation at a house in Newry, Co Down.
The house at Ardcarn Park was raided on November 10 after being bugged for three months.
Seven other men have already been charged with a range of paramilitary-related offences based on this evidence.
According to the prosecution Pearce attended just one of the bugged meetings, held in October.
The court heard that before he arrived co-accused Patrick Joseph Blair was recorded phoning and asking him to join the group.
Blair (59) and from Villas Park, Dundalk, was remanded last month charged with directing terrorism and membership of a proscribed organisation.
Prosecution counsel said Blair could be heard telling others in the house that Pearce was a "world of information".
It was claimed that he said: "He (Pearce) must've given us about four different cops, five cops, the governor, that Brit."
Blair allegedly went on to claim that he was able to provide details of a specific police officer that enabled reconnaissance to be carried out.
Less than 20 minutes later Pearce arrived at the house and imparted a range of information, according to the prosecution.
Mr Justice Treacy was told the group discussed a pet shop in Belfast frequented by loyalist paramilitaries.
Pearce then allegedly described the location of a businessman's home he had visited, the ease with which entry could be gained, the occupant's obvious wealth and vulnerability to coercion and robbery.
"He also tells how he was recently passing the college near Jordans-town, saw numerous British soldiers in uniform standing outside and described how they would be 'such a handy touch'," the prosecution said.
On being prompted Pearce allegedly then named a prison officer and described in detail his routine and leisure habits.
"He goes on to outline the address of a home of a relative who the prison officer often visits and how he goes rambling with his children from the address," the prosecutor said.
Mr Justice Treacy refused bail.