Trial hears how victim’s body was found in Tyrone reservoir

The trial of a County Tyrone man accused of murdering Damien Heagney has heard from NI Water staff who discovered a package containing his partial remains in Cappagh Reservoir.

Stephen Eugene McCourt, 41, previously of Gartland Terrace. Dromore then Riverview, Augher, denies murdering the victim between December 31, 2021 and January 6, 2022.

In July 2022, his GP practice contacted police as he hadn’t collected his medication in-person since December 7, 2021 and until May 2022  was lifted by another person.

As the trial entered its second week at Dungannon Crown Court, evidence was heard from a reservoir inspector.

While working at Cappagh Reservoir in August 2022, he noticed a package floating in the water.

“It was shallow enough to allow me to wade in and retrieve the package to the edge after which I informed my line manager,” he said.

“I thought it looked suspicious because it was wrapped in black plastic with sheep wire round it and fastened by cable ties. It was about 3 feet by 1 foot. I thought it was a dead animal. There was a small tear in the plastic, and I thought I could see flesh.”

The next witness was a lorry driver who along with a colleague was tasked to recover the package and dispose of it as it was believed to contain animal remains.

He said: “It was well wrapped with mesh or wire over it and tied with four cable ties. There was a piece of chain although this was not secured to the wire. I cut the cable ties and wire off before loading (the package) into the lorry as all metal has to be removed.“

His colleague recalled the package was heavy and it took both of them to lift it.

“The plastic had a small tear and I could see skin which is why I believed it may have been a pig as opposed to a cow.”

The package was removed to a company which dispose of dead animals and the wire and cable ties were left at the reservoir.

A number of police officers explained how in July 2022 they were involved in the search of Mr Heagney’s former house in Cookstown.

While he was previously treated as a missing person a detective explained, ‘intelligence had been received that he may have been murdered’.

During the search, unopened mail was noted piled behind the front door.

A mobile phone, dairy, list of contacts, two registration plates, a dictaphone and a box of documents were seized.

A blue latex glove was also discovered in a bedroom and seized.

A man who lived near McGartland Terrace described how a woman previously resided in the property but then noticed a man had apparently taken over the tenancy, who kept a white ‘boxy’ van at the side.

The prosecution say this was McCourt but the witness was unaware of his name and had only spoken to him in passing on a few occasions.

However, around January 2022, the witness observed the male at the rear of his van with both doors open.

“There was a pile of carpet pieces and when he lifted these into the van I saw one had a large, dark stain on it.”

The male was alone and while the witness could not say the exact time, it was daylight.

Around seven months later in July 2022, a police team were tasked to the house, McCourt had by this point vacated.

It was in the process of being redecorated however the landlord immediately halted this when contacted by police.

Despite the passage of time forensic teams managed to recover blood samples from the stairs, banister, skirting boards and door frames.

The trial continues.