Bomb found near hotel set to explode during PSNI event, court told

A bomb concealed in a fire extinguisher was primed to explode during a recent police recruitment meeting at a Derry hotel, a court has heard.

Darren Poleon (41), of Drumbaragh, Kells, Co Meath and Brian Walsh (34), of Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, appeared before Derry Magistrate's Court charged with preparing an act of terrorism by placing the improvised explosive device (IED) beside the Waterfoot Hotel on October 6th.

They are also charged with possessing the IED with intent to cause an explosion and with conspiring to cause an explosion with an IED.

A PSNI detective constable told Judge Barney McElholm the defendants were arrested in Omagh on Wednesday when they arrived at the town’s police station to address other alleged criminal matters. They made no reply to the charges.

A satellite navigation system in Poleon’s car showed the vehicle had driven from Kells to Derry on October 6th. Both men were recorded on CCTV on the day buying a rucksack at an Aldi store in Cavan, the court heard.

The car was later recorded on CCTV parking on a road behind the Waterfoot Hotel before being driven away. It later returned to the hotel where the officer said he believed one person was dropped off and a second collected.

An hour later the car was stopped by a police in Omagh. They found the rucksack, latex gloves, bolt cutters and a walkie talkie inside. The defendants were arrested on suspicion of being equipped to commit a burglary and released on bail.

The detective constable said, on October 9th, police found the IED in undergrowth beside the Waterfoot Hotel. The bomb was concealed inside a fire extinguisher and it contained a primer unit and a timing device.

Police believe Poleon, who made a reservation to stay in the hotel on October 9th, was to return, take the IED from the undergrowth and place it in the hotel where it was primed to explode during the recruitment event. He made a credit card booking but gave a false address and phone number. He did not turn up on the night, the court heard.

The device was similar to those used in a bomb attack on the Everglades Hotel in Derry on May 29th of last year, in an attempted parcel bomb attack on Palace Barracks last August and in an attempted letter bomb attack on the Chief Constable George Hamilton last January, the detective constable said.

Both were remanded in custody until December 31th for a video link hearing but can apply to the High Court for bail.