A Co Armagh man accused of driving a lorry at two officers – critically injuring one – before evading police for almost 15 years has been granted bail.
Seamus Fegan, from Tievecrom Road in Forkhill, appeared at Newry Magistrates’ Court on Friday morning after he was arrested while taking his heavily pregnant wife to Daisy Hill Hospital earlier this week.
The 36-year-old is charged with causing grievous bodily injury to a police officer by dangerous driving on the afternoon of June 29, 2010.
Detective Constable Johnston, objecting to bail, told the court that on the date in question – almost 15 years ago – police were carrying out a search operation, along with HMRC, at an industrial estate in the Low Road area in Meigh.
Police approached one of the units and “the roller door began to go down”.
DC Johnston said: “Two officers looked under the door and saw a number of people running around inside the unit. They then heard an engine rev from inside before the lorry burst through the shutters. The lorry has hit [one constable] on the arm causing non-serious injuries [but a second officer] was hit by the lorry, sustaining serious – which were initially described as critical – injuries.”
The constable had to be airlifted to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.
The court heard how the lorry then made off in the direction of the Republic of Ireland. The lorry was later recovered in Dundalk, some 24 minutes after the incident had occurred, and it was approximately 5.8 miles from where the incident had taken place.
DC Johnston continued: “When the lorry was forensically examined, blood was recovered from inside the driver’s door. It was also noted that a pole had come through the front windscreen into the passenger side, which makes police believe there was no passenger in the vehicle.”
Vehicle documentation linked Fegan to the scene and he was subsequently arrested on January 26, 2011 by the Garda Síochána for attempted murder of both police constables.
In interview a pre-prepared statement, denying any involvement in the offences of attempted murder, was given by the defendant. He answered no comment to all other questions while in custody in the Republic of Ireland.
He had his fingerprints and DNA taken before being released.
DC Johnston said these was examined against the blood retrieved from the offending lorry and “confirmed as a match”.
He added: “Despite extensive police efforts, including search and arrest operations, circulation, local inquiries, approach to solicitors, liaison with the Guards, and speaking to Mr Fegan on the phone to invite him for interview, he continued to evade police in Northern Ireland.
“He was arrested on January 9, 2025 after being stopped in a vehicle for the offence of causing GBI by dangerous driving, and when he was interviewed, he made no reply to police, except through his solicitor to deny being the driver of the vehicle.”
Outlining police objections to bail, DC Johnston said there was a real fear Fegan would fail to surrender and that “this incident is coming up on 15-years-old…”.
“The DNA match came in around 2011 [and since then] there’s been numerous search operations and arrest operations carried out at the family home.
“So police believe he was aware he was wanted, but was actively avoiding police.”
Fegan’s defence described his client as a father of two young children with another on the way this week.
“When he was actually stopped he was in the process of taking his wife for a check-up in Daisy Hill Hospital,” the defence said.
“The detective constable has described it as ‘evading arrest’ but this gentleman has never ceased being in Northern Ireland.
“He took a very strong view on the fact that, because he was not the person driving the vehicle at the time of the incident in the Low Road, that he had nothing to assist the police with, and that has been his firm position from the start.”
He added: “I have represented him over the last 10 years, and he’s been consistently in this jurisdiction…so he has not been evading as such.”
District Judge Eamon King released Fegan on his own bail of £1,000 and had his father lodge a cash surety of £10,000, warning him that “any breach of bail and that £10,000 will be forfeited”.
