Man charged with 2006 murder of British spy Denis Donaldson remanded in custody

Denis Donaldson was a paid agent for Special Branch and MI5 (PA)

A man charged with the 2006 murder of British spy Denis Donaldson has been remanded in custody ahead of what is expected to be an application for bail.

Antoin Duffy, in his 40s, of no fixed address, appeared before the non-jury Special Criminal Court on Monday.

He is charged with the murder of Mr Donaldson in Cloghercor, Doochary, Co Donegal, between April 3 and 4 2006 after being extradited from Scotland earlier this year.

He was also charged with possession of a shotgun and ammunition “with intent to endanger life” at the same date and location.

He was also charged with the attempted murder of a second man, Liam Copeland McGinley, at Meenaboll in Co Donegal on November 19 2007, and also charged with possession of a shotgun and possession of ammunition on the same date.

Mr Donaldson, 55, was shot dead at a remote cottage near Glentie, months after he was exposed as a paid agent for Special Branch and MI5 since the 1980s.

In 2009, dissident republican group the Real IRA claimed the killing.

Mr Donaldson was also a former administrator for Sinn Féin’s Stormont Assembly team.

Appearing before the non-jury court on Monday, a barrister representing Mr Duffy said he was “somewhat concerned” that the book of evidence in relation to the 2006 murder charge had not yet been served.

He said this was the third time they were before the court for the serving of the book of evidence.

He said a pending bail application had been delayed because the second book of evidence had not yet been served.

He said the bail objections they had received to date were “scant” and said they were “in the dark” which was “concerning at this stage”.

The prosecuting barrister said that the second book of evidence was to be served in October, and said the case dates back “some time” which requires “significant” investigative work.

The matter was put back until October 12 for the second book of evidence to be served by then or “at least on that date, at the latest”, Mr Justice Patrick McGrath said.

Mr Duffy appeared before the court wearing a black t-shirt and khaki-green coloured trousers.