Published: Thursday, 11th March, 2010 11:48am

Court hears that accused was treated for gunshot wound

Gerry McGeough, (left) arrives at Laganside Court in Belfast where he stands accused along with Vincent McAnespie, (right), of attempting to murder part time UDR man Sammy Brush nearly thirty years ago.

A LOCAL politician and alleged former IRA member has gone on trial for trying to kill a part-time UDR soldier almost 30 years ago.

Gerry McGeough stood as an independent candidate in Fermanagh and South Tyrone in the 2007 Assembly election. He polled 814 first preference votes.

Belfast Crown Court heard that the 51-year-old prominent republican attempted to murder Samuel Brush, a postman and part-time member of the UDR on June 13, 1981, but Mr. Brush returned fire and shot him in the chest.

McGeough, from the Carrycastle Road, Gortmerron Dungannon, denies attempting to murder Mr. Brush, possessing two Colt revolvers used in the attack, and two charges of being a member of the IRA on dates between January 1975 and June 1981.

Alongside him in the dock is 47-year-old Vincent McAnespie, from Aghabo Close in Aughnacloy, who denies possessing the guns and ammunition with intent to endanger life and under suspicious circumstances and a further charge of impeding the apprehension of McGeough by hiding the weapons.

The prosecuting counsel, Gordon Kerr QC, said it was the Crown case that McGeough was the gunman who was shot by the intended victim as he was later treated for a gunshot wound at a Dublin hospital before going on the run and that McAnespie hid the guns in a neighbour's yard.

He said that just after lunchtime on June 13, 1981, Mr. Brush was making a delivery to a house north of Aughnacloy. Given the security situation at the time it was his habit to carry his legally-held, .38 Smith and Wesson revolver loaded and in a shoulder holster. He had just put a letter through the letter box when he saw a "masked gunman" stepping out from an adjacent shed, turn in his direction and shoot at him from about 12 feet.

"Fortunately for Mr. Brush, it was his habit to wear body armour under his postal uniform," said Mr Kerr, adding that as he fled, the part-time soldier felt shots hitting him in the chest, shoulder and back.

The lawyer said the postman realised then that there was "more than one gunman" as another masked man emerged from the door of the house. Mr. Brush ran back to his postal van, trying to draw his gun using his left hand as his right shoulder had been injured.

"There were a number of further shots but by the time of the last shot, he had drawn his weapon and he decided to go back to the house with his weapon drawn," said Mr. Kerr.

He outlined to the judge, Mr. Justice Stephens, sitting in a Diplock Court with no jury, how Mr. Brush fired two shots at a gunman standing at the front door of the house and that as the gunman moved away, the part-time UDR man saw movements in a hedge to his left, firing another two shots into it.

Mr. Brush managed to get back to his van but before driving off, he noticed that the householder, Mrs. Mary McGarvey, and her sister were at the front door of the house.

He was later treated in hospital for gunshot wounds and for collapsed lungs.

Mr. Kerr told the judge that during the trial he would hear from the Mrs. McGarvey who would give evidence that she came back into her house from the outside toilet to find two gunmen sitting in her kitchen and they told her "that they were from the IRA and that she was not to be alarmed".

Two neighbours called to the house during the morning and while the men allowed them to come in, they were not allowed to leave again.

The lawyer said that at around 1pm, Mrs. McGarvey heard a car pulling up and heard shots being fired and that afterwards, one of the gunmen came back in complaining that he had been shot and ordered one of the neighbours to take him to hospital.

At around the same time a husband and wife who lived close-by saw a masked man coming out of a neighbour's house and he told them to tell the homeowner there were "two guns in the hot press and bullets in a flower pot" before asking the couple for a lift into Aughnacloy.

Mr. Kerr told the court he threatened the couple "don't say you saw me - you are under threat now" but added that the couple would be giving evidence that they recognised him as McAnespie whom they had known for years.

During a search operation two days later, police uncovered two revolvers, two bullets and eight spent cartridges and, along with the bullet head removed from Mr. Brush, all were sent for forensic examination.

Meanwhile staff at Monaghan Hospital were confronted with a man who signed in as Gerard McGeough, suffering from a gunshot wound to the left side of his chest and they decided to transfer him to Dublin by helicopter where he was operated upon and sent back to Monaghan with the removed bullet head sent to a ballistic expert within the Garda Siochana.

Mr. Kerr said that while at Monaghan Hospital, under guard by the Garda Siochana, McGeough was allowed to have visitors but after one large group of visitors had left, it was discovered that he had fled as well.

He told the court that part of the Crown case against McGeough would come from a document submitted to Swedish authorities in a claim for political asylum which, "would constitute a full confession to being the gunman, or one of the gunmen".

The lawyer said it would also be the Crown case that at the same time, McGeough "admitted to membership of the IRA for periods consistent with the charges that have been placed before the court".

Both men were arrested on March 8, 2007, McGeough as he left Omagh Leisure Centre where votes in the Assembly election were being counted, and during police interviews, both denied any involvment.

The case continues.