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Two men charged with rioting offences in Derry the night a journalist shot and killed have been refused bail.<\/p>\nTwo men charged with rioting offences in Derry the night a journalist shot and killed have been refused bail.<\/p>\n
Paul McIntyre, 51, with an address in Ballymagowan Park in the Creggan area of the city, has been charged with riot, petrol bomb offences and arson of a hijacked vehicle.<\/p>\n
Christopher Gillen, 38, from Balbane Pass, has been charged with riot, petrol bomb offences and the arson and hijacking of a tipper truck.<\/p>\n
Both men, who were arrested on Thursday, appeared together in front of District Judge Barney Mcelholm, but refused to stand and recognize the court when called on Saturday morning.<\/p>\n
The prosecution alleges that both men are connected to the paramilitary group the New IRA, who orchestrated a night of rioting on April 18 in the Creggan area of the city.<\/p>\n
The New IRA have since claimed responsibility for the death of Ms McKee in a letter released to media.<\/p>\n
A PSNI detective told the court that footage seized from an MTV documentary crew who, along with presenter Reggie Yates, were filming in the city on April 18, both in the offices of dissident republican linked group Saoradh that afternoon, and later during the unrest in Creggan, provided police with the evidence they allege links both men to the charges.<\/p>\n
The PSNI say footage from MTV taken in the Saoradh office, located in Junior McDaid House, shows both men clearly and speaking in the company with other Saoradh members.<\/p>\n
The police also claim footage taken from CCTV and mobile phones, later supplied to police by witnesses, shows two masked men in identical clothing and footwear to the defendants exiting the hijacked tipper truck and later carrying a crate of petrol bombs along Fanad Drive, and later deploying them at police.<\/p>\n
The detective added: \u201cPolice believe these were the ring leaders, that\u2019s obvious from footage.\u201d<\/p>\n
The officer added he had concerns that both men may attempt to interfere with or intimidate witnesses, or attempt to leave the country if they received bail.<\/p>\n
In the weeks following Ms McKee\u2019s murder, graffiti was sprayed in Creggan warning the community against helping police with their inquiries.<\/p>\n
The message \u201cInformers will be executed\u201d was painted along the wall of a local community center, and posters of rats were erected on local speed signs.<\/p>\n
Judge Mcelholm told the court that he also had concerns about witnesses being prevented from coming forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re all aware of the disgraceful graffiti in Creggan that warned off anyone talking to police, whoever did that, did these two men a great disservice,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d be inclined to agree with Father Joe Gormley, in what happens when you get people who are blinded by ideology.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll nationalism corrupts into fascism eventually whether it\u2019s Irish nationalism or British or Polish nationalism. We\u2019ve all seen where it ends up.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have to bear in mind these gentlemen, there\u2019s no evidence either of them belong to any paramilitary organisation but they are a part of an organisation with a defined ideology.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no address anywhere in this city which would be suitable in this case, at any stage. I will refuse bail.\u201d<\/p>\n
The murder of Ms McKee has sparked a major police investigation, amid huge public outrage.<\/p>\n
On the afternoon of April 18, after a police search of a residence in the Creggan area, a riot broke out which saw missiles including petrol bombs thrown at police officers, before a Ford Transit Tipper was set alight.<\/p>\n
Amid the unrest, a masked gunman fired shots in the direction of police and struck 29-year-old journalist Lyra McKee, who later died in hospital.<\/p>\n
Police say more than 140 people have come forward with mobile phone or social media footage and a \u00a310,000 reward has been offered by charity Crimestoppers for anyone with information that leads to an arrest in the death of Ms McKee.<\/p>\n