Derry Judge says he has received hate mail for giving anonymity in drugs cases

Derry’s District Judge Barney McElholm has revealed that he has received hate mail following his decision to grant anonymity to people charged with drug related offences.
Judge McElholm began granting anonymity to people charged with drug offences after a number of people who had appeared in court were subsequently shot by the vigilante group RAAD.
At today’s sitting a man who had been charged with possessing drugs with intent to supply had the charge reduced to one of simple possession.
Judge McElholm said that this case highlighted the benefits of the anonymity order as the charge was now simple possession.
He said that since granting the orders he had been subjected to hate mail.
He said: “I don’t read these things myself but I have received hate mail on social media sites from all sorts of lunatic right wing fanatics in England who seem to think that RAAD a a great bunch of boys.”
The judge repeated that the case in question had shown the vale of anonymity orders.
A pre-sentence report was ordered and the man will be sentenced on May 31.