Northern Ireland

Boy (14) accused of trying to buy sub-machine gun online

The 14-year-old boy was arrested at Riverside retail park in Coleraine. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin
The 14-year-old boy was arrested at Riverside retail park in Coleraine. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin The 14-year-old boy was arrested at Riverside retail park in Coleraine. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin

A 14-year-old boy accused of trying to buy a Russian sub-machine gun and 100 rounds of ammunition on the 'dark web' left school at break time for a meet-up in a Co Derry retail park, a court has heard.

A detective said she believed the teenager's intention was to intimidate another person using the weapon.

The child, who cannot be named because of his age, was detained during a police operation at the Riverside retail park in Coleraine on Thursday.

He had allegedly tried to give £150 to a police operative for the ammunition and believed he could purchase the gun.

The PSNI officer told Ballymena Magistrates' Court on Saturday: "Speaking to the operative, the defendant had stated in communications that his intention was to intimidate a third party".

The boy appeared in court accused of attempting to possess a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life.

The offences are alleged to have occurred between March 27 and April 7 this year.

The officer revealed: "He got out of school to perform this meeting at break time."

The accused, wearing a grey hooded top and red t-shirt, appeared in court flanked by his father and three police officers.

During interviews with police, he named a Jamaican man who he said asked him to collect blank ammunition and a deactivated gun.

He said he ordered these through a selling platform on the dark web.

The accused told investigators he was to collect the deactivated gun in a few days, the detective constable said.

She added: "It was, in fact, a live gun and live ammunition.

"The account provided was somewhat unbelievable.

"He provided an account that he was purchasing a gun for a male that was a Jamaican national living in Northern Ireland who he was friendly with on Facebook."

She said none of his Facebook friends matched the name given for the 40-year-old friend.

Defence lawyer Derwin Harvey said there was no evidence presented surrounding his client's intent and described police assertions as "guesswork".

District Judge Liam McNally said he was satisfied there was a risk in the case but because of the boy's age he wanted to release him on stringent bail conditions.

He freed him on bail of £500 with conditions including staying at home overnight and not possessing a mobile phone or any other internet-enabled device.

Judge McNally told him if he breached bail by "dabbling in the internet" he would be remanded in the juvenile justice centre until the case goes to court, which could be more than six months away.

He said it was a very serious charge and if found guilty the boy could be sentenced to life in prison.

He is due to appear again at Coleraine Magistrates Court on April 24.