Coalisland murder: Two men in court charged with assisting alleged killer

Standing alongside an interpreter in the dock of Dungannon Magistrates Court, 27-year-old fitter Marius Dzimisevicius and Dmitrijus Indrisiunas (41) were each charged with assisting an offender, namely Darius Sikorskas, knowing or believing that he had committed murder or GBH and withholding information “which was likely to secure or be of material assistance on securing the apprehension, prosecution or conviction” of the alleged killer on 14 October this year.

Last month 34-year-old Sikorskas, of no fixed abode in Armagh was remanded into custody charged with the murder of Gediminas Stauskas on 15 October this year.

He was also charged attempted murder, kidnapping and possessing a handgun connected to two shootings in September in Newry and of supplying cocaine and amphetamines.

The body of 32-year-old Lithuanian man Stauskas was found in a garage on the Moor Road, near Clonoe, Dungannon and reports at the time suggested he had been tortured before his death.

In court on Wednesday, Dzimisevicius, from Thomas Street in Dungannon and Indrisiunas, from The Shanoch in Coalisland, remained handcuffed as Detective Sergeant Murphy said he believed he could connect the pair to the allegations.

Defence lawyer Colin Donnelly and Noel Dillon told District Judge John Meehan they were not applying for bail and that being the case, the pair were remanded into custody to appear again next week via video link.

Mr Donnelly, acting on behalf of Indrisiunas, asked for the case to be “tentatively listed” as a bail application as he would be seeking an alternative potential bail address for his client.

Shortly after the brief hearing, a Detective Constable asked the judge to approve the continued detention of cash seized from Dzimisevicius.

DC Murphy said she believed the money, £2,210 and 540 Euros, had been obtained “from drugs” but she wanted time to investigate it’s source amid claims from the defendant the money represented wedding gifts.

Mr Dillon said he had no objection so Judge Meehan granted a further six months for the money to be detained.

Meanwhile, a 28-year-old man arrested in Dungannon this morning is being questioned over allegations that he also withheld information about the murder.