Charges dropped following Belfast bomb attack

By Michael McHugh, PA

All charges have been dropped against a Dublin man following an attack on a police officer in East Belfast last summer, his lawyer said.

Paul Casey, 49, was arrested in August in the Irish capital by members of the Garda Special Detective Unit as part of the cross-border probe into the discovery of an explosive device under the target's car at Shandon Park Golf Club.

Mr Casey, of Carton Court, Ballymun, Dublin 11, had been accused of membership of an unlawful organisation but on Monday morning the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) agreed to drop the matter, Mr Casey's law firm said in a statement.

Peter Corrigan from Phoenix Law said: "We welcome today's decision to drop all charges in relation to our client.

"We highlighted that there was no case to answer and welcome today's decision by the DPP to drop all charges against our client."

Proceedings were heard at Dublin's Special Criminal Court.

BREAKING: DPP drop all charges against our client Mr. Paul Casey in the Special Criminal Court. Our Peter Corrigan acts for Mr. Casey pic.twitter.com/zbHE8BpoFf

— Phoenix Law Belfast (@PhoenixLawHR) November 18, 2019

Last June a tournament, which was being held at the golf club, was cancelled and dozens of people were evacuated following the alert.

The device was a viable improvised explosive, police said.

It was discovered a short distance from Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) headquarters.