By Paul Higgins
Lawyers for a Catholic priest accused of trying to communicate sexually with a child after he was ensnared by a paedophile hunter group, are struggling to find him a bail address, a court heard today (thurs).
Edward Gallagher was due to mount a bail application at Londonderry Magistrates Court but defence counsel Stephen Chapman revealed, “we have not been able to obtain an address.”
“It’s not an application we would make without a firm address,” the barrister told District Judge Conor Heaney.
Gallagher, a 58-year-old priest from Orchard Park in Lifford, is in custody charged with attempted sexual communication with a child under 16 between 2-17 April this year.
The priest was arrested after a ‘sting operation’ by paedophile hunter group Justice Reborn and was live broadcast online and on social media.
After the arrest, the Diocese of Derry said it was “aware of an incident outside a hotel in Derry city involving a priest of this diocese”.
“The Diocese knows that a video of the incident has been posted online and we understand the PSNI have been involved. Currently, the diocese has no further information,” said the statement.
In court today (thurs) a prosecuting lawyer told the Bishop Street Court the “full file” is due to be received by the PPS on 27 July so in the absence of a bail application, he was seeking a four week adjournment.
Remanding Gallagher back into custody, Judge Heaney adjourned the case to 3 July and Mr Chapman indicated that if there was to be an application for bail, “we will put the court on notice if an address becomes available.”
ENDS
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