Derry man who went 'on the run' after previously being let out to visit his sick grandmother has been refused bail

A man charged with supplying drugs who taunted police after he fled the jurisdiction in 2018 has been refused bail due to a risk of reoffending.

Derry Magistrates Court was told that the defendant has spent around four months in custody.

He is charged with being concerned in the supply and being concerned in an offer to supply Class A drug heroin on November 11, 2020.

He is further charged with being concerned in the supply of Class C drug pregabalin and being concerned in an offer to supply Class C drugs diazepam and Subutex.

The defendant has been granted anonymity because of what police assess as a live threat against drug dealers in the city.

Defence barrister Sean Doherty told the local court on Monday that the Parole Commissioners had decided that his client should be released.

Objecting to bail, a police officer said the accused is in his early 30s and has 96 convictions.

He has been offending since he was 15-years-old, an officer said, with ‘no gaps’ in his criminal record.

Offences range from motoring to serious assault, burglary and hijacking.

The court heard he is a priority offender who has been managed by the reducing offending unit for 10 years.

An officer added that the accused has breached bail on 11 occasions.

Informing the court that he’s a flight risk, the officer said that in October 2018 while on remand in relation to an attempted hijacking the defendant applied for compassionate bail to visit his sick grandmother.

The defendant was to be released for three hours, but the court heard that he didn’t see his grandmother and instead ‘went on the run’.

A police officer said it was pre-planned as evidenced by prison telephone conversations.

At the time, police launched a social media appeal to track him down and the defendant directly responded by taunting police and calling himself ‘The Gingerbread Man’.

PSNI officers spotted him at a later date driving a vehicle in the Ballykelly area at which time they gave pursuit.

A police officer said the accused performed dangerous overtaking manoeuvres and went down a one-way street where he collided with a house.

He then ‘intentionally collided’ with two police vehicles, the officer explained, before heading for the border and into Donegal.

Police had to get a European arrest warrant and the defendant spent nine months at large.

Probation services believe there is a ‘high likelihood’ of him reoffending, a police officer said.

The court was told that European arrest warrants normally took 31 days but following Brexit can take up to one year to bring an alleged offender back to the jurisdiction.

Defence counsel said it’s ‘inconceivable’ that there won’t be some arrangement around European arrest warrants.

The court heard that the Parole Commissioners made a decision last month that it was no longer necessary for the accused to remain in custody for the protection of the public.

His behaviour has been exemplary in prison, Mr Doherty said, and he is drug free.

Probation services believe he can be managed in the community with strict conditions.

The defendant denies the offences before the court, Mr Doherty said.

Addressing the suggested flight risk, Mr Doherty said his client’s family connections are in the north west.

He said it’s likely the case will not be dealt with until 2022.

Deputy District Judge McStay refused bail due to a high risk of reoffending, for failing to abide by bail conditions and due to a risk of flight.

He also made reference to the defendant’s ‘attempt to escape the jurisdiction’ in 2018.

The judge said he didn’t consider himself bound by the decision of the parole board.

The case was adjourned until March 25.