A MAN who claims he was threatened with death by his double killer brother sat just yards from him in court today.
Donal Gallagher alleges his brother John, who killed Twin Towns mother and daughter Anne and Annie Gillespie in 1988, harassed him and made threats to kill him on May 13 and 14.
When John Gallagher appeared today at Strabane court, his brother Donal was also in court on the request of the PSNI.
Oliver Roche, a solicitor for John Gallagher, claimed that Gardai had investigated a similar complaint from Donal in Co Donegal and had found the claims to be false.
He applied for bail restrictions to be lifted on John Gallagher, saying his client feared new ‘malicious and false’ allegations would be made and that his client could end up in custody as a result.
The conditions are that John Gallagher not have contact with his brother Donal and also that he should not film him.
Magistrate Liam McNally turned down John Gallagher’s request, keeping them in place until he next appears on July 11.
A solicitor for the north’s public prosecution service said claims that Donal Gallagher had made a false complaint in Co Donegal had not been investigated as the PSNI had been unable to make contact with investigating Gardai.
Mr Roche said the claims against John Gallagher were not corroborated by any other witness and the case was ‘weak at best.’