Belfast man charged with attempted murder over car bomb

A 66-year-old man from Belfast appeared in court on Saturday charged with five offenses, including attempted murder, in connection with a car bomb explosion outside a police station near the city.

Kieran Smyth, of Beechmount Avenue, faces charges of attempted murder of persons unknown, compelling a person to use a vehicle for an unlawful purpose, possessing explosives with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property, possessing a SIM card and phone for use in terrorism, and causing an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property. The incident occurred last Saturday night when a hijacked delivery vehicle exploded outside Dunmurry police station as nearby homes were evacuated.

Lisburn Magistrates Court heard that a driver from a Chinese restaurant in the Summerhill Park area of Twinbrook had arrived around 10:45 p.m. to deliver an order placed shortly before. Two men threatened him, with one placing a gas cylinder device in the vehicle and ordering him to drive to the police station within 30 minutes or the bomb would detonate. The driver raised the alarm upon arrival, prompting evacuations before the device exploded at about 11:15 p.m. No...