Pair face trial over Massereene murders
Dissident republicans Colin Duffy and Brian Shivers will stand trial next month, accused of murdering two soldiers in a Real IRA gun attack on Massereene barracks in Antrim.
Lurgan man Duffy, 43, and his 45-year-old co-accused both face two murder charges and six attempted murder charges. The pair are also charged with possessing guns and ammunition.
Duffy was taken to Coleraine Magistrate’s Court on Thursday under tight security – six armoured police vehicles accompanied the prison van.
Shivers, from Magherafelt, is out on bail and walked into the court building for the hearing to determine whether there was enough evidence to send the case to trial.
District Judge George Connor told the court both accused had a case to answer.
Duffy and Shivers deny involvement in the attack on March 7 last year – which the prosecution described as a “surprise murderous attack … launched by gunmen armed with automatic weapons against an unsuspecting group of soldiers and civilians”.
Gunmen fired up to 60 bullets at troops from 38 Engineer Regiment who were picking up a pizza delivery.
Sappers Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey were killed. The civilian delivery men and six other soldiers were also badly injured.
The court heard last week that the two accused had been at the heart of a conspiracy to kill members of the security forces.
It was claimed DNA profiles which matched Colin Duffy and Brian Shivers had been recovered from items found in a car used in the attack. The crown lawyer said the car also contained a terrorist kit comprising camouflage clothing, ammunition and balaclavas.
Lawyers for Colin Duffy and Brian Shivers said the DNA evidence was weak and there was nothing to prove the two men had been in the car when it was used in the gun attack.
However, Judge Connor said the car was “connected to the crime … and the evidence, the DNA evidence, shows that the defendants are connected to the car”.
Thursday’s hearing had been delayed by further claims Duffy had been physically assaulted during a prison strip-search.
The trial will begin on January 14.
