John Downey appears in Northern Ireland court



A 67 year-old man has appeared in court in Northern Ireland, charged in connection with the murder of two UDR soldiers.

John Downey from Ards in Creeslough in County Donegal handed himself in to An Garda Síochána in the Republic of Ireland yesterday.

The pensioner went to the guards, after losing an appeal to challenge his extradition to Northern Ireland.

Downey is charged with the murders of Lance Corporal Alfred Johnston and Private James Eames – aswell as “aiding and abetting an explosion”.

They were killed when a device exploded in a car they were inspecting in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, in August 1972.

At Omagh Magistrates Court this morning, The PSNI objected to bail for Downey – claiming he was a flight risk.

A large crowd gathered outside the court for today’s hearing, among it Sinn Fein MPs, MLAs and councillors.



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