Three charged with DCI John Caldwell New IRA claim of responsibility

DCI John Caldwell was shot in front of his son after taking a youth coaching session.

Police investigating the attempted murder of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell in Omagh in February have charged three men in connection with the claim of responsibility made following the attack. The men, aged 23, 25 and 36 have been charged with possessing articles for use in terrorism.

They were arrested in Derry on Thursday.

All three are expected to appear before Londonderry Magistrates' Court on Friday morning. As is usual procedure, all charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.

Mr Caldwell was seriously injured when he was shot several times at a sports centre in Omagh, Co Tyrone, in February after coaching a youth sports team. He was with his son loading footballs into the boot of his car when he was shot. Mr Caldwell spent several weeks in intensive care after the shooting. The senior detective had led a number of high-profile PSNI investigations in Northern Ireland. Dissident republicans are suspected as being responsible for the attack. A typed message, purportedly from the New IRA, was posted on a wall in Derry and said the group was responsible for the shooting. In May Mr Caldwell was seen in public for the first time since the incident, at a garden party in Royal Hillsborough during a visit by the King and Queen, where he had a private audience with Charles. He spoke in public when he was presented with the special recognition award at the Sunday Life Spirit of Northern Ireland Awards on Friday night.

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