Three Magherafelt cops facing trial over alleged false statements on incident

Three police officers from Magherafelt have been returned for trial on perjury charges.
Magherafelt courthouseMagherafelt courthouse
Magherafelt courthouse

John Law, Amanda McIvor and Gareth Rankin all appeared before a preliminary enquiry at the town’s courthouse on Monday.

Law and Rankin also stand accused of one count of common assault.

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It is understood the charges against the PSNI members, whose ages were not disclosed to the court, relate to an alleged assault outside a Magherafelt pub on March 16, 2013.

Each of the officers is alleged to have provided a false statement on different dates in 2013.

Law is accused of supplying his on 17 March – the day after the alleged incident – whilst McIvor’s was allegedly given on 10 April and Rankin’s on 18 May.

During committal proceedings at Magherafelt Magistrates Court the judge supported a prosecution submission that there is a case to answer against all three officers.

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The defendants were remanded on £500 bail each and ordered to appear for arraignment proceedings at Londonderry Crown Court, which is scheduled to sit on 13 September.

During a previous court hearing in the case against the police officers, which took place in April of this year, was told the alleged incident pertaining to the charges against the defendants, took place outside Bryson’s Bar in Magherafelt and involved James Dean Lawrence.

A lawyer acting on behalf of the defendants in the case, at that time, pointed out that the female officer was due to give birth to a child.

Adjourning the matter until April 20 to fix a date for committal proceedings, District Judge Alan White told the court they would have to look for a hearing date after the birth of the child.