O'Hagan murder accused gets bail

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Journalist Martin O'Hagan's murder was a "professional assassination" carried out because of his reports on loyalist paramilitaries, a court has been told.

The 51-year-old Sunday World reporter was shot dead as he walked home from a pub in Lurgan with his wife in 2001.

Prosecution lawyers told a bail hearing a witness saw smouldering remains of clothes allegedly worn by the killers.

Details emerged as bail was granted to one of the men charged with murder, Nigel Leckey, 43, of Bowens Lane.

A prosecution lawyer said it was alleged that the accused had stored the car used by the killers.

"The motive behind it appears to be the investigative work which was carried out by Mr O'Hagan and, in particular, the criticisms he had aired in the newspaper in respect of local loyalist paramilitaries in the immediate area in which he lived," he said.

The court heard how a series of arrests carried out last month were based on information a man identified as Witness A gave to police more than a year ago.

This was a particularly abhorrent assassination, an attack on the liberty of the press, an attack on the human right to life and had heavy sectarian overtones Mr Justice McLaughlin Witness A claims that on his return from holiday on the night of the murder, one of the co-accused telephoned him to arrange a meeting the following morning.

According to Witness A, the suspect told him he had lost control of the car following the shooting and wanted him to help pick up any debris from the scene.

He also claimed they then went to a yard used by Mr Leckey, who told them he had washed the car.

Opposing bail, the prosecution lawyer said Witness A was not part of any protection scheme.

He added that the family of another co-accused had left Northern Ireland amid fear of retribution at what was revealed during his police interviews.

A defence lawyer rejected arguments that Mr Leckey may flee if released, saying he had a business of 20 years standing to run and close ties with the local community.

Mr Justice McLaughlin said that while all killings were dreadful, this had been a particularly notorious murder.

The judge added that Mr Leckey's release was being resisted because "this was a particularly abhorrent assassination, an attack on the liberty of the press, an attack on the human right to life and had heavy sectarian overtones".

However, he ruled the prosecution's arguments were not strong enough to outweigh the court's obligation to grant bail in appropriate cases.

Mr Justice McLaughlin said his decision was based on a number of factors, including the acceptance that Mr Leckey was not a "principal party" in the shooting and because he went to police as soon as he knew they were looking for him.

Agreeing to release Leckey on sureties of £7,000, the judge ordered him to have no contact with any witnesses or co-accused.

He added: "I do not want it to be suggested in court that because this man has been granted bail, that may have a bearing on anyone else's (bail application). These cases stand on their own."