41-year-old man appears in Court in Derry charged with terrorism offences

There was heavy security around Derry’s Bishop Street Courthouse today as a 41-year-old man appeared on a charge of organising a meeting in support of a proscribed organisation namely the IRA.
Paddy McDaid of 57, Beechwood Avenue in the city was charged with the offence which was said to have occurred on Easter Monday April 25.
A prosecuting barrister told that at the meeting a message was read out from the IRA and that the judge was all too aware of the contents of that message.
The barrister said that in a subsequent search, police recovered photos of the colour party and believed one of the men to be the defendant. The barrister said that a search of homes of members of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement uncovered books with the minutes of meetings and in one of these it was claimed McDaid was tasked with organising the colour party.
Mc Daid denied the charge, saying he is not a member of any illegal organisation.
A police officer opposed bail on the grounds that McDaid could commit further offences.
Defence solicitor Mr. Paddy MacDermott said that the photographic evidence had proved ‘notoriously unreliable’ in the past.
District Judge Barny McElholm said that if it had been proved that someone had been involved in reading out ‘that foul and reprehensible’ speech they would not be getting bail.
He released McDaid on conditional bail, to appear again on December 22.