Woman to stand trial over ‘false alibi’ in murder of Cookstown man David Black

An unemployed single mother from Co Armagh is to stand trial in connection with the murdcer of prison officer David Black from Cookstown.
By The Newsroom
Published 23rd Jan 2015, 12:33 BST
David BlackDavid Black
David Black

Fiona McFadden (29), of Killough Gardens, Lurgan, appeared at Belfast Crown Court on Friday for a brief arraignment hearing.

She pleaded not guilty to a single charge that she supplied a false alibi to a murder suspect on the day after Mr Black was killed.

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The charge alleges that on November 3, 2012, she “did an act which had a tendency to pervert the course of public justice, namely, informed police officers investigating the murder of David Black that Sean McVeigh had been in her company at her address between 4pm and 9.30 pm on the 31st day of October 2012”.

The court heard her trial is expected to last a number of weeks.

McFadden was released on continuing bail to await the fixing of a date for her trial later this year.

Mr Black was shot dead on the M1 in County Armagh as he went to work at Maghaberry Prison in November 2012.

The 52-year-old father of two was the first prison officer in NI to be murdered in almost 20 years.