Man found guilty of attempting to kill police officers

A County Tyrone man has been found guilty of attempting to kill two police officers in Strabane in 2022.

Charlie Love, of Bridge Street in the town went on trial in March 2025 in connection with a bomb attack on a police car.

The 31-year-old was also found guilty of causing an explosion likely to endanger life and possessing explosives with intent to endanger life.

A judge at at the non-jury trial at Belfast Crown Court said he had concluded Love was "intimately involved" in the planning and conclusion of what was a dissident republican attack on officers.

Mr Justice Fowler added he was "satisfied that it was the defendant's intention that police officers would be killed" and convicted him of all four charges including attempted murder.

Love was remanded in custody and the court was told a sentencing hearing would likely take place in September.

His co-accused, Symone Murphy, 28, of the same address, was found not guilty of withholding information which might assist terrorists.

A solicitor representing Murphy said the case against her "was weak and fundamentally flawed," adding she "should never have been prosecuted".

"There was simply no evidence capable of justifying this prosecution," the solicitor said.

The court heard details of the attack on a passing police car at Mount Carmel Heights on 17 November 2022.

Two officers, who were in the unmarked vehicle, reported a large flash and a loud bang and believed they had been the subject of an attack.

Officers also reported feeling the vehicle move to the side and felt it had been "peppered" by something.

The court was told no obvious damage was noted on the car when the officers returned to Strabane police station, but there was peppering of the paint surface.

The court also heard Love's DNA was found on a drill which was believed to be the trigger mechanism for the device.

The judge said it was "significant" Love's DNA was also found on a command wire at the detonation end of the device.

The judge said he was satisfied the officers "were subjected to an explosive attack from an improvised explosive device placed at the side of the road".

He added the device was "elevated" and contained "high explosives".

The judge said he considered Love's actions "were more than merely preparatory and that he had the intention to kill."