Man charged over murder of prison officer David Black

Damien Joseph McLaughlin remanded in custody until next month after extradition

A 41-year-old man has appeared in court in Armagh charged in connection with the dissident republican murder of Northern Ireland prison officer David Black.

Detectives from the PSNI’s serious crime branch arrested Damien Joseph McLaughlin in Armagh on Tuesday following his extradition from the Republic.

Earlier this year he was arrested in Donegal on foot of a European Arrest Warrant issued by authorities in Northern Ireland.

The extradition followed a ruling by the High Court in Dublin on December 2nd to extradite him to Northern Ireland for trial on charges in connection with the murder of Mr Black, a 52-year-old father of two.

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He was shot dead on the M1 motorway near Lurgan, Co Armagh by the “New IRA” as he travelled to work in November 2012.

Mr McLaughlin was charged with aiding and abetting murder; membership of a proscribed organisation; commissioning and instigating preparatory acts of terrorism; and committing and assisting acts of terrorism.

He appeared before Armagh Magistrates Court and was remanded in custody until January 12th.

Gerry Moriarty

Gerry Moriarty

Gerry Moriarty is the former Northern editor of The Irish Times