RIR soldier appears in court charged with murder

A Royal Irish Regiment soldier has appeared in court charged with the murder of a Catholic man in County Tyrone.

At Cookstown Magistrates Court 27-year-old Glen Strong, whose address was given as c/o 4th Royal Irish at Clogher, was accused of the murder of Colin Foy, 27, who was shot on Sunday October 28 while drinking with his brother at the Four Ways Hotel bar in Fivemiletown. Mr Foy had been a regular in the bar where he was shot, just as a disco was about to end at midnight.

Mr Strong only spoke once during the three-minute hearing on Tuesday October 30 to confirm his details. An RUC detective inspector told the court that when charged on Monday night Strong made no reply, however, he said he believed he could connect the accused to the charge.

Magistrate Richard Wilson remanded Strong in custody until November 20.

Meanwhile two men aged 27 and 47 are still being questioned about the murder of teenager who was shot dead in the Westacres area of Craigavon in the early hours of 29th October 2001.

Peter Joseph McNally, 19, was asleep in a house on the Westacres Estate in Drumgor when two armed and masked men broke in and shot him at least twice in the head. Officers believe Mr McNally, who had no fixed address, may have been the victim of a dispute between criminals. The police have said they do not believe the shooting was sectarian. (AMcE)