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A Belfast man is to stand trial next spring on charges arising from a bomb hoax involving Minister Simon Coveney.
Darren James Service appeared at Belfast Crown Court on Friday where he was charged with – and denied – three offences linked to an incident at the Holy Cross Church in Ardoyne in March 2022.
The gym owner, from Ballysillan Road in the north of the city, confirmed his identity to a court clerk and was then charged with three offences.
The 42-year old was charged with the preparation of terrorism acts on March 25th, 2022 namely the hijacking of a van “with a view to facilitating the deployment of a hoax bomb device at a public meeting at the Houben Centre, Holy Cross Church, 432 Crumlin Road, Belfast”.
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When asked how he pleaded to the first count, Mr Service replied “not guilty.”
He was also charged with, and denied, hijacking a Ford Transit Van on the same date.
In addition, Mr Service had a charge of causing a bomb hoax on March 25, 2022 levelled at him.
When charged with placing an article in the vicinity of the Houben Centre with the intention of inducing a belief that it was likely to explode or ignite was put to him, he again replied “not guilty.”
The charges relate to an incident which unfolded when a workman was threatened and forced to transport a device placed in the back of his vehicle by two masked men to a peace-building event on the Crumlin Road.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney was attending the event at the Houben Centre in the Holy Cross Church.
After the van driver alerted police regarding the device in his van, the Centre was evacuated in what was later described as a hoax bomb alert.
Following the “not guilty” pleas entered by his client, defence barrister John Larkin KC told Judge Mark Reel there were “some issues that need fairly extensive investigation” ahead of the trial.
Mr Larkin also told the Judge he expected the trial to last up to two weeks and a date for the hearing was fixed as April 15th, 2024.
The hearing concluded when Mr Service was released on continuing bail.