Duffy Charged With Army Shooting

A known republican has been charged with the murder of two young soldiers at an Antrim army barracks.

Colin Duffy is accused of murdering Sappers Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey (both pictured here) at the Massereene base on 7 March.

He is also charged with five counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a firearm.

The 41-year-old appeared before a magistrates in Larne to hear the eight charges earlier today.

An investigating officer told the court DNA evidence against the accused was found

on a latex glove recovered from a Vauxhall Cavalier, believed to be the get-away car used in the Antrim shootings.

"This is not trace elements - this is a full DNA profile," the PSNI chief inspector said.

"It was inside a latex glove found on the floor of the Vauxhall Cavalier."

The officer later said that only the tip of the glove had been found.

Abandoned outside nearby Randalstown, police believe the Vauxhall Cavalier was driven by the soldiers' killers.

Objecting to bail, the chief inspector said there were three main planks of the prosecution case - forensics, CCTV and witness evidence.

He said a witness could place the getaway car outside the barracks in the seconds before the attack.

The accused was remanded in custody until 21 April to appear at Antrim Magistrates Court.

Last night around 200 people gathered in Lurgan to demonstrate support for Duffy and his family.

Duffy has been in police custody since last week. Yesterday the High Court ruled the extended detention of Duffy and five others was unlawful.

However, after the others were released, Duffy was sensationally re-arrested.

Sappers Azimkar and Quinsey were gunned-down while collecting a pizza delivery at the front of army base.

Five others, including two civilians, were seriously injured, when gunmen opened fire.

Duffy is the first to be accused in relation to the Massereene attack.

Less than 48 hours after the murder of the two army personnel, a policeman was fatally shot in Craigavon.

So far three people, including a 17-year-old youth and an unidentified man have been charged in relation to the murder.

The other accused is 37-year-old former Sinn Féin councillor Brendan McConville.

McConville and the youth face murder charges, while the 21-year-old is accused of withholding information.

(PR/BMcC)