Man in court over shooting of off-duty police officer

A 29-year-old man has appeared in court in connection with the shooting of an off-duty police officer in County Antrim.

Kyle Knell, of Tynan Drive in Newtownabbey, faces nine charges in total, including attempted murder, false imprisonment and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

The charges relate to an incident in the Fairview Avenue and Beverley Road areas of Newtownabbey on Monday evening, where the officer was shot, believed to be with the officer's own personal protection weapon.

After the hearing at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Saturday, Mr Knell was remanded into custody.

Mr Knell is also charged with assaulting two other people on the same evening.

He faces further charges of unlawful imprisonment, possession of a firearm, named as a Glock 17, possession of ammunition under suspicious circumstances, possession of a loaded firearm while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, theft of gun and ammunition and trespass.

A detective told the court the police could connect the defendant to the offence.

Cross-examining the detective, the defence solicitor put it to the officer that "this was not a targeted shooting" and the detective agreed.

The lawyer further suggested that "there is no evidence of pre-planning to the incident" and again, the police officer agreed.

There was no application for bail and the defence solicitor asked for his client to be psychiatrically examined once he was remanded into custody.

The next hearing is scheduled for 6 February.