05/06/2006

Belfast man remanded over loyalist shooting

A 36-year-old man has been remanded in custody charged with the attempted murder of leading loyalist Mark Haddock last Tuesday.

Darren Stewart Moore from the Mount Vernon Estate, north Belfast today denied trying to kill the alleged Special Branch agent.

When charged, Moore said: "I'm not guilty, could you check my alibis?"

Another man questioned in connection with the attack has been released without charge.

Mark Haddock, 37 and originally from the Mount Vernon area of north Belfast, was shot in the Mossley area of the Doagh Road shortly before 3.30pm on May 30 and remains in a serious condition in hospital.

It has been reported that Mr Haddock may have been lured to the area, where he was subsequently ambushed and shot.

He was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, where he was treated for six gunshot wounds.

Loyalists are being blamed for carrying out the attack

Mr Haddock, who is suspected of being a senior member of the Ulster Volunteer Force, is currently on bail facing a charge of attempted murder.

He was accused of attempting to kill nightclub doorman Trevor Gowdy in Monkstown in December 2002.

Mr Gowdy was found unconscious in the Monkstown Estate. He had been severely beaten with an iron bar and a hatchet.

The trial began at Belfast Crown Court last year, but was stopped after Mr Gowdy broke down in the witness box and was later deemed medically unfit to continue. Earlier this month, Mr Gowdy was granted permission to testify from a secret location in England.

Haddock is also at the centre of an investigation by the Police Ombudsman's Office, whose officers are looking into claims of collusion linked to a string of murders.

During today's hearing, a PSNI Detective Inspector told the court that he believed that he could connect Moore to the charges.

He was remanded in custody until July 3, when he will reappear again by video link.

(EF/SP)

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07 June 2006
Second man remanded over loyalist shooting
A second man has today been charged with the attempted murder of leading loyalist Mark Haddock last Tuesday. Ronald Trevor Bowe, 29, and from Mount Vernon Gardens has also been reported to the Public Prosecution Service for alleged membership of the UVF. Mr Bowe replied "not guilty" when the charge was put to him today at Belfast Magistrates Court.
02 June 2006
Two arrested over Haddock gun attack
Two men have been arrested in connection with the attempted murder of leading loyalist paramilitary Mark Haddock. Police have confirmed that one man was arrested earlier this morning, with the second being taken into custody this afternoon. Both men are helping police with their inquires while a search operation is ongoing.
18 January 2006
Attempted murder case postponed until May
The trial of Belfast man Mark Haddock, who is accused of attacking and leaving for dead a former army boxing champ, has been adjourned until May 2. The Belfast Crown Court trial was adjourned today until the victim, Trevor Gowdy, is pronounced fit enough by doctors to give evidence.
01 June 2006
Policing Board to discuss Haddock shooting
The Policing Board is to discuss the shooting of leading loyalist, Mark Haddock, which is to be raised during a public meeting of the Board today. Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde is expected to be quizzed over who he believes to be responsible for the shooting of the 36-year-old who is currently in a serious condition in hospital.
31 May 2006
Loyalist remains 'critical' after shooting
A leading loyalist remains in a critical condition in hospital, after being shot in Newtownabbey yesterday. Mark Haddock, 36, and originally from the Mount Vernon area of north Belfast, was shot close to his home in the Mossley area of the Doagh Road shortly before 3.30pm yesterday afternoon.