Earlier plans for an assault on detective John Caldwell were revealed in court, prior to his being shot.
In a recent court hearing, Caoimhín Murphy (25, from Altowen Park, Coalisland) and Liam Robinson (45, of Ardstewart, Stewartstown) appeared via videolink at Dungannon Magistrates’ Court, charged in connection with the attempted murder of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). Both men face charges of preparation of terrorist attacks and perverting the course of justice.
The background to this case is the shooting of Detective Caldwell, which occurred on February 22, 2023, while he was off-duty and with his young son after coaching a youth football team in Omagh, County Tyrone. The attack was claimed by the New IRA. Caldwell has since retired on medical grounds.
The evidence against Murphy and Robinson is described as complex and circumstantial, according to prosecution statements in court. A detective sergeant connected both men to offences related to the attack, though there was a challenge to these connections. The investigation revealed that there had been a prior earlier attempt to murder Detective Caldwell in the weeks before the February 22 shooting, dated around February 1, 2023. Murphy and Robinson are implicated in these offences as well.
Both defendants were remanded in custody. Mr Robinson will appear in court again on September 2nd, and Mr Murphy will appear on August 20th to make a bail application. The judge denied bail to Mr Robinson.
The defence solicitor for Mr Murphy claims there is no surveillance evidence linking him to any of the vehicles used in the shooting. However, the prosecuting barrister described the case as "circumstantial in its truest form".
The threat to Detective Caldwell remains current and serious, with his name reportedly still targeted by dissident republican groups. Several people have previously appeared in court charged with offences linked to the shooting attack.
This case involves a complex investigation into dissident republican attempts to kill a senior PSNI officer, with Murphy and Robinson charged amidst ongoing security concerns. On the night Mr Caldwell was shot, he had arrived at football training earlier than usual. The investigation into the shooting of Detective John Caldwell was a "complex, circumstantial case".
This complex, circumstantial case surrounding the shooting of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell, a senior PSNI officer, involves charges against Caoimhín Murphy and Liam Robinson, who appeared in court for preparation of terrorist attacks and perverting the course of justice. In addition, both men are accused of being involved in a prior attempt to murder Detective Caldwell, which occurred weeks prior to the February 22nd shooting. This case, as described by the prosecuting barrister, is "circumstantial in its truest form," with its ties to dissident republican politics and general-news topics such as crime and justice.
