Police station car bomb accused appears before court

Police station car bomb accused appears before court5 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleEve RosatoBBC News NICharles McQuillan/Getty ImagesThe bomb exploded last Saturday night outside Dunmurry Police StationA 66-year-old man has appeared before a court charged with a number of offences relating to the explosion at Dunmurry Police Station, on the outskirts of Belfast, last Saturday.Kieran Smyth, from Beechmount Avenue in Belfast, is charged with attempted murder, possessing explosives with intent to endanger life and hijacking.He was arrested three days after the bomb, which was placed in a hijacked car, detonated outside the building. The other charges he faces include causing an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property and possessing articles for use in terrorism.Smyth appeared via videolink in front of Lisburn Magistrates' Court on Saturday morning, where a detective inspector from the serious crime branch said he could connect him to the charges.He laid out the details of the police investigation, noting that at 22:09 BST on Saturday 25 April a call was made to a Chinese in Belfast requesting delivery to Summerhill Park in the Twinbrook area.Bomb 'could clearly have killed anyone'At 22:43 BST the delivery driver arrived in that area, got out of his vehicle and was threatened by two men.The court heard the delivery driver said he was threatened with a pistol.One man then placed a gas canister type bomb in the rear of his vehicle.He was told he had 30 minutes to bring the vehicle to Dunmurry Police Station before a bomb would explode. The delivery driver arrived at the station and raised the alarm and the device detonated at 23:15 BST as police officers were evacuating the area.The detective inspector said that explosion "could clearly have killed anyone within close proximity".Phone used to call ChineseCharles McQuillan/Getty ImagesThe gas cyclinder device detonated while nearby homes were being ev...