Northern Ireland

Man charged over car bomb under police officer's car released on bail

Police at Shandon Park Golf Club after a viable device was discovered under a police officer's car. Picture by Pacemaker
Police at Shandon Park Golf Club after a viable device was discovered under a police officer's car. Picture by Pacemaker Police at Shandon Park Golf Club after a viable device was discovered under a police officer's car. Picture by Pacemaker

A MAN charged over the discovery of a car bomb under a police officer's car in Belfast has been released on bail by the Special Criminal Court.

IRA accused Paul Casey (49) was previously arrested by members of the Special Detective Unit (SDU) as part of a cross-border investigation.

Casey, of Carton Court, Ballymun, Dublin is charged with IRA membership on August 20, 2019.

His co-accused, Robert O’Leary (41) with an address at Clancy Road, Finglas, is also charged with the same offence and was granted bail on August 26 by the three-judge non-jury court.

Casey was granted bail subject to a number of conditions including a ban on travelling to Northern Ireland.

Both men were arrested in August by members of the Special Detective Unit in relation to an investigation into a bomb being placed under a serving PSNI officer’s vehicle at Shandon Park Golf Club on June 1.

The device was declared to be a "viable improvised explosive device".

The bomb was discovered a short distance from the PSNI headquarters and dissident republican group, the New IRA, claimed responsibility for the attack at the time.