A 47-year-old man has appeared in court charged with attempted murder following an attempted car bomb attack on Lurgan Police Service of Northern Ireland station. Barry Anthony Toman, whose address is Drumnamoe Avenue in Lurgan, faced Craigavon Magistrates’ Court via videolink on Friday.
Attack Details
The New IRA claimed responsibility for the incident on March 30, during which a pizza delivery driver was hijacked in Kilwilkie and forced to drive a pipe bomb to the station. The device did not explode but was deemed viable and later tested for forensic evidence.
Toman faces charges of attempted murder, attempting to cause an explosion, and hijacking by compelling a person to drive a car carrying an improvised explosive device. He is also charged with possession of explosives with intent to endanger life before March 31.
Court Proceedings
In court, Toman only spoke to confirm he understood the charges. A Detective Chief Inspector from the PSNI outlined DNA, CCTV, and phone evidence linking Toman to the offences. The DCI described Toman as a “committed, violent terrorist.”
The court heard that a pizza delivery driver was responding to a phone order, with payment on delivery. The address was at the top of an alleyway; residents later told police they did not make the order. Toman’s home is on that 200-metre alleyway. CCTV showed two people emerging, making demands, and forcing the driver into the alleyway. One male primed the bomb and placed it in the boot, while another made threatening gestures.
The driver drove the bomb to Lurgan PSNI station under instruction and alerted police. The device was a timed pipe bomb containing explosives and shrapnel, surrounded by jars of flammable liquid to maximise fire damage. The area was cordoned off, and nearby premises were evacuated before army technical officers arrived.
DNA Evidence
The DCI said Toman’s DNA was found at five locations on the device, including the edge of a battery compartment, an AA battery from the boot, tape holding wires, and a screw. Over nine police interviews, Toman provided no comment until presented with DNA evidence. He then gave a prepared statement claiming he worked on construction sites and had contact with such items. The DCI noted that a phone found on Toman had no device commands recorded before April 5, suggesting data deletion.
The DCI also stated that Toman’s home, the attack area, and the delivery order location were within the same phone cell area. The phone used to make the order was a prepaid, no-details phone. A 15-year-old had paid for a top-up with a £20 note; a photo of a £20 and £10 note was found on Toman’s phone two hours before that top-up.
Defence Arguments
Under cross-examination from Toman’s solicitor Gavin Booth, the DCI admitted that CCTV was not clear enough to identify the accused. Cell-site analysis could not pinpoint a single person or location, and there was no link between Toman and the phone used for the order. The DNA evidence was described as preliminary, with one partial sample and mixed samples. The DCI accepted that DNA can be transferred and that mixed samples could not determine who last touched an object. However, the partial sample had a likelihood of one in a billion that it belonged to someone else.
The magistrate ruled that the PSNI had sufficient evidence to connect Toman to the offences. No bail application was made, and legal aid was granted. The case will return to court on June 5.
Other Arrests
A 39-year-old woman has been charged with obstructing police in relation to the incident. She was released unconditionally regarding perverting the course of justice and assisting an offender, and is expected in court on June 3. A 15-year-old boy was released pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service.
