A judge has lifted an anonymity order granted to a Derry man who had been shot by republicans vigilantes in 2010.
Raymond Coyle of 41, Fountain Hill in Derry was convicted last month of possessing class B drugs with intent to supply on March 16 2012 but an anonymity order had been put in place preventing him from being named.
Coyle, who was shot by the group Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD) in his Waterloo Street shop on January 27 2010, had contested the charge but was found guilty and fined a total of £1,000.
At a sitting of Derry Magistrate’s Court a Constable Conerney said that the PSNI were opposing the anonymity order being made permanent.
He told the court: “It is the view of the PSNI that this order should not be supported as it is in the public interest to know that these psycho active substances,so called legal highs, are being removed from circulation.”
He said that the police intended to publicise convictions such as this ‘to improve public confidence and provide re-assurance that the issue of drugs was being tackled at all levels in the city.’
He added that this would also instill confidence ‘in the open and transparent judicial system.
Judge McElholm said it was important that the public were confident that the PSNI were dealing with this problem and added that the right to life had to be balanced with the public’s right to know that substances that had caused death were being dealt with.
He lifted the anonymity order.
- Sun, 8 Sep 2024
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