Man remanded on charge of murdering British spy Denis Donaldson

A man has appeared in a Dublin court charged with the 2006 murder of British spy Denis Donaldson.

He was also charged with five other offences, including the attempted murder of a second man in 2007.

Antoin Duffy, in his 40s, of no fixed address, appeared before the non-jury Special Criminal Court on Monday afternoon after being extradited from Scotland.

He was charged with the murder of Mr Donaldson in Cloghercor, Doochary, Co Donegal, between April 3 and 4 2006.

He was also charged with possession of a shotgun and ammunition “with intent to endanger life” at the same date and location.

Mr Donaldson, 55, was shot dead at a remote cottage near Glentie, months after he was exposed as a paid agent for Special Branch and MI5 since the 1980s.

In 2009, dissident republican group the Real IRA claimed the killing.

Mr Donaldson was also a former administrator for Sinn Fein’s Stormont Assembly team.

Detective Garda Adrian Ahern told the court that he arrested Duffy at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel, Co Dublin, at 1.22pm on Monday after his extradition from Scotland on foot of a European Arrest Warrant.

He said he later met Duffy at the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin, handed him a copy of the charge sheet and showed him an original copy.

The charges were also read out to him.

Duffy was also charged with the attempted murder of a man in November 2007 in Co Donegal, and with possession of a shotgun and ammunition on the date and location in question.

Appearing before judges James Faughnan, Patrick McGrath and Sarah Berkeley, he was remanded in custody before the next court appearance on April 13 where he is to appear in person.

He was also granted legal aid by the court.