A MAN has appeared in court charged with directing the IRA.
Thomas Ashe Mellon, 38, is charged with membership of the proscribed paramilitary organisation and with directing its activities.
Appearing at the Magistrates’ Court in Derry, he denied the charges and was refused bail.
Mr Mellon is a father-of-four from Rathmore Road in the Creggan area of Derry.
A police witness told the court that she believed the defendant had a prominent position within the IRA in the city and had planned and directed dissident activity.
The court heard that the PSNI believed a letter found on a visitor to Maghaberry Prison earlier this month was “an intercepted message” written by the defendant to republican inmates at the jail.
The police officer read out the message and explained that tests found the defendant’s DNA on the note, which was written on cigarette papers joined together.
Applying for bail, Mr Mellon’s lawyers described the evidence against him as hearsay and said the letter’s contents were a “rant”.
He claimed the police evidence was weak and did not justify keeping the defendant in custody for up to a year before any trial.
The judge described the charges as “extremely serious” and refused bail due to the public interest and for fear of further offending.
Mr Mellon was remanded in custody to appear for a video link hearing on July 3.
