Crowds jeer 'dissident' murder accused
A man charged with a murder allegedly linked to a fall-out involving dissident republicans was jeered and heckled as he was led from court today.
Gerard Mackin, 25, was remanded in custody at Dublin’s District Court, charged over the death of Edward Burns, 36, in Belfast in March.
Mr Burns was found shot dead in Bog Meadows, an area in west Belfast, just hours before the body of Joseph Jones, 38, was discovered in the republican Ardoyne area of the city.
Mackin was one of seven men and two women arrested by police on both sides of the border probing the alleged Continuity IRA murder.
Eight people – six men and two women – were tonight being questioned by the PSNI and Gardaí in connection with the deaths.
Mackin was also charged with the attempted murder of Damien O’Neill on the same day and location.
Detective Garda Tom Doran of the Special Detective Unit (SDU) told the court Mackin, of Raheen Close, Tallaght, Dublin was arrested yesterday at Shankill Garda Station, south Dublin, at 5.05pm.
He made no reply after being cautioned.
He was charged on both counts at 6.06pm and had nothing to say after each charge was put to him.
Judge Cormac Dunne told Mackin it was his right to decide whether he wanted to be tried in Northern Ireland or in the Republic.
After a brief consultation with his solicitor Conway O’Hara, he said he had not made a decision.
Mr O’Hara consented to a State application to remand his client in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on November 20 for mention.
Dressed in a purple jumper and navy jeans, he was led out of the court as members of the public shouted abuse and jeered him.
Meanwhile, eight people remain in custody tonight over the killings.
Three men and a woman were originally arrested in Dundalk, Co Louth, and Dublin on Sunday.
The woman was released yesterday and gardaí said two men remained in custody tonight.
Four men and a woman were last night questioned in the North.
A PSNI spokeswoman said the woman and a man were released this morning, but another two women and a man have since been arrested.
Four men and two women were in custody in the North tonight, the PSNI confirmed.
