Man remanded in custody over Ballygawley drive-by shooting

A BALLYGAWLEY man charged in relation to the shooting incident in the town at the weekend is alleged to have fired the two shots at The Tailor’s House Restaurant from the window of a moving vehicle.

Robert McCum (50) of Millix Road was denied bail when he appeared at Strabane Magistrates Court. He is charged with possession of a firearm or ammunition with intent to endanger life or property and criminal damage and was remanded in custody.

Objecting to bail, a detective constable said that the PSNI had first received a report of the incident from a staff member at the restaurant at around 2.30am that a shot had been fired at the premises.

He said that when the police arrived the window was broken and that Robert McCrum was identified as being the party responsible for the damage caused.

It was alleged that McCrum had a disagreement with one of the patrons of the bar earlier and been removed due to intoxication. He left the bar and then was alleged to have return driving a red van.

He then had a disagreement with a staff member, at which point it is alleged that he poured petrol onto the ground out of jerry can outside the premises.

Later he is alleged to have returned driving a car with his son in the passenger seat and was in possession of two firearms. He then fired two shots shot out of the driver’s side window at the Tailor’s House while the vehicle was moving. The court was told that the second shot caused the damage to the window and was captured on the CCTV.

The second man, believed to be McCrum’s son who was charged in relation to the incident on Monday, got out of the passenger’s door and went into the premises with a German Shepherd dog. He returned to the vehicle about a minute later and the car left the area.

The car returned to the area later when another shot was believed to have been fired from the window of the vehicle.

Forensic examinations carried out discovered what are believed to be shotgun pellets within the shattered glass at the scene.

Objecting the bail, the detective said it would be easy for McCrum to gain access to firearms as he is involved in a local gun club.

It is believed that the guns used in the incident were given to a friend of McCrum’s who was in the Tailor’s House that evening.

He said that there was also a fear of interference with witnesses as McCrum knew the family who owned Tailor’s House and lived in the area.

The court was told that following the incident McCrum had travelled at 3am to Slane in Co Meath where he had attended a motorbike show.

Defence barrister, Colin Donnelly, said that it was unlikely that there would be any re-offending. He said that McCrum had not come to the attention of police for almost 15 years and was not contemplating leaving the jurisdiction.

Refusing bail, the Judge described what had happened as ‘dangerously reckless.’ He said he was satisfied that McCrum posed a risk and remanded him in custody until September 21 next.