Men charged in connection with dissident display back in court

Three men charged in connection with a dissident republican march in Derry last year feel they should be allowed to attend protests which they consider are ‘valid.
Gary Donnelly from Iniscarn Road, Ciaran Boyle from The Meadows and Anthony Lancaster from Circular Road all in Derry appeared charged with arranging a meeting in the City Cemetery at which they knew a member of a proscribed organisation would be speaking contrary to the Terrorism Act.
As part of their bail conditions the three are baned from attending any march, meeting or protest organised in support of dissident republican activity.
Derry Magistrate’s Court was told that a full file on the incident will not be available until July.
Defence solicitor for Donnelly and Boyle Mr. Paddy MacDermott said that offences were alleged to have occurred last April and one would have thought that all the evidence would have been available as the men were not charged until almost a year later.
He said that the men were under stringent bail conditions and added that they wanted to take part in protests they felt were valid.
District Judge Barney McElholm said that if a full file was not available at the next appearance he wanted an officer present to tell the court what the hold up was.
He said that if the evidence was based on aerial footage he would have thought it would have been assessed at the time.
The three men were released on continuing bail to appear again on May 17

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