Court in Derry told anyone charged with drug offences could be under threat

A solicitor has told a judge in Derry today that anyone charged with drug offences in the city could be shot by paramilitaries.
Mr. Paddy MacDermott made his remarks when applying for anonymity for a man charged with a series of drug offences.
The solicitor said that while there was no specific threat against his client there was a ‘generalised threat’ and the man lived in an area ‘where he could be vulnerable to the attention of paramilitaries.’
District Judge barney McElholm said he would be interested to hear from the PSNI if they felt the generalised threat had lessened but he granted anonymity.
He said that the anonymity should be reviewed when the man appeared in the Crown Court.
The man who appeared at a preliminary enquiry was charged with six counts of being concerned in the supply of drugs, one count of possessing class b drugs and two counts of possessing class c drugs in February 2013.
It was accepted there was a case to answer and the man said he did not wish to make any statement or call any witnesses at this stage.
He was returned for trial on bail to appear at the Crown Court on a date later this month.