Mr Justice Fowler said the primary issue for the court was that the defendant had “managed to go and get a season ticket in advance of making this application which I am not particularly impressed by”
Sean Pearson(Image: Inside the Courtroom NI)
A man awaiting trial over a hoax bomb left outside a police station was today denied permission to attend a Derry City FC home match this evening.
Sean Pearson, 32,of Culmore Park, Omagh, Co Tyrone, has been charged with possessing articles for use in terrorism.
The charge is in connection with a security alert at Omagh PSNI station almost three years ago.
At Belfast Crown Court on Friday, a prosecution barrister said the application by Pearson was to “attend every Friday a football match at Derry City where he has a season ticket”.
He told Mr Justice Fowler that the prosecution would consent to him attending one football match this Friday.
Derry City play host to Sligo Rovers in a League of Ireland game, the first of three home matches this month at the Brandywell.
But as there was a strict curfew attached to Pearson’s bail conditions, he would not consent to a blanket easing of the curfew for every Friday going forward.
Defence solicitor Owen Beattie said Pearson had provided him with dates for the proposed games which are confined to matches for the month of February at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.
“My application is to permit him to attend the game this Friday (February 6) and if the police provide instructions to the prosecution we could fully ventilate the application at a future date,” said Mr Beattie.
Mr Justice Fowler said the primary issue for the court was that the defendant had “managed to go and get a season ticket in advance of making this application which I am not particularly impressed by”.
The senior judge added: “He is coming here saying ‘I have purchased this ticket’ which is rather presumptuous.
“I am not inclined to permit him to attend the game this Friday. This should have been dealt with by way of an application in advance of the purchase of any season ticket.
“The defendant should know that before he takes any steps to do something like this he first needs the permission of the court.”
No details were given in court on Friday about the circumstances surrounding the terrorism charge faced by Pearson.
But during a previous High Court bail application in August 2024, Mr Justice Fowler was told that masked men claiming to be from the IRA held a motorist at gunpoint and forced to drive an item to Omagh PSNI station on May 6, 2023.
They told the victim a timer had already been set and that he had 20 minutes to take it to the barracks.
It was alleged that a fake device recovered from the boot of the car after it was abandoned at the police base contained a gas canister, 24-hour mechanical timer switch, adhesive tape and fireworks in a plastic tube.
Pearson was arrested and charged on the basis of CCTV evidence obtained from two shops.
He allegedly bought the gas canister and timer switch used in the device from a Home Bargains store in Strabane, and the tape from a branch of B&M Bargains in Omagh.
The prosecution conceded that Pearson has not been forensically linked to the hoax bomb.
The prosecution barrister told the court: “The incident involved an innocent member of the public being forced to drive a device in his vehicle at high speed to Omagh police station.
“It endangered the victim, other members of the public and caused major disruption to the local community.”
A defence barrister stressed Pearson has not been charged with involvement in the hijacking incident.
He told the court Pearson denied obtaining anything used in construction of the device and provided full reasons for purchasing items of a similar type.
A mechanical timer was said to have been bought to charge the accused’s mobile phone at night and prevent it from overheating.
Pearson also claimed he acquired a gas canister for a camping stove to use at his work as a plasterer, while the adhesive tape was to seal off windows.
The lawyer argued there had been no attempt to conceal his identity in the CCTV footage of him making the purchases.
“All of these goods were placed in the back of his van which was not locked at any stage,” the barrister added.
Mr Justice Fowler ruled that Pearson was to be released on bail to live under curfew at an approved address.
He also ordered him to wear an electronic tag and report to police.
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter
