Latest news with #Kingsberry
Sunday World
02-05-2025
- Sunday World
Man accused of trying to defraud family of murdered journalist Martin O'Hagan appears in court
Standing in the dock of Craigavon Magistrates Court 42-year-old Michael Kingsberry confirmed his identity and that he understood the single charge against him An Englishman appeared in court today accused of trying to defraud the family of murdered journalist Martin O'Hagan. Standing in the dock of Craigavon Magistrates Court 42-year-old Michael Kingsberry confirmed his identity and that he understood the single charge against him. Kingsberry, from The Maples, Sycamore Close in Doncaster, faces one charge of fraud by false representation in that on 15 August 2019 he allegedly 'made a false representation, namely purported to hold official documents with the intention…to make a gain for yourself or another or to cause loss to family of Martin O'Hagan (deceased) or to expose them to a risk of loss.' Michael Kingsberry Today's News in 90 Seconds - Friday May 2 Although none of the alleged facts were opened to the court, Det. Const. Dillon said she believed she could connect Kingsberry to the charge. Kingsberry was arrested in Sheffield last month with the assistance of Counter Terrorism Policing North East and South Yorkshire Police. It was reported that the prosecution case against Kingsberry is that he tried to claim a reward for information about the 2001 murder of Sunday World reporter Martin O'Hagan. Martin was 51-years-old when he was gunned down by the LVF as he walked home with his wife Marie from a pub on 28 September 2001. In a statement released after Kingsberry was charged, the O'Hagan family said the 'prosecution arises from our announcement of a reward for information that would lead to the conviction of anyone connected to Martin's murder'. The statement, issued by law firm KRW, added that while they 'welcome the decision' to charge Kingsberry, their engagement with him 'was always with a strong sense of critical awareness' and that 'at no stage did we agree to pay, or actually pay, any reward.' In court today, a prosecuting lawyer told District Judge Natasha Fitzsimmons the case will be 'passed to the central team' within the PPS for allocation to a senior prosecutor, adding that the 'full file' is due to be received by 4 June. Freeing Kingsberry on his own bail of £500, the judge said she accepted 'it is a complex file' so granting the PPS application, she put the case back to 13 June. As part of his bail conditions Kingsberry is barred from contacting the O'Hagan family, barred from asking anyone else to contact them and he is also barred from entering Lurgan. Although defence counsel Cameron Faulkner asked for Kingsberry to be excused from attending on the next occasion, Judge Fitzsimmons said she would have to see the medical evidence before granting that.
BBC News
02-05-2025
- BBC News
Martin O'Hagan: Man charged with fraud in journalist murder investigation
A man charged with fraud by false representation in relation to the investigation into the murder of journalist Martin O'Hagan has appeared in court in Craigavon.42-year-old Michael Kingsberry of Sycamore Close in Doncaster is accused of claiming to hold official documents with the intention to make a gain for himself or another or to cause loss to the family of Martin O' details of the alleged offence were presented in court but Mr Kingsberry said he understood the charge against him and a detective constable said she could connect the accused to the Kingsberry had been on police bail - this was converted to court bail of £500. He is to reside at an approved address. Other requirements include that Mr Kingsberry does not contact anyone connected to Mr O'Hagan or enter Lurgan's 30mph matter will return to court on 13 Kingsberry was arrested in Sheffield in April before being transported to Northern Ireland for questioning in the serious crime suite at Musgrave Police Station in Belfast.A search of a property in Sheffield was also carried out as part of the operation. Who was Martin O'Hagan? Mr O'Hagan was 51 years old when he was killed as he walked home with his wife from a pub on 28 September was a journalist for the Sunday World newspaper when he was shot dead by the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF).He was the first working journalist to be killed in Northern Ireland since the outbreak of the Troubles in a reporter for the newspaper, he had built a reputation for stories which exposed paramilitaries and drug dealers operating in Northern has ever been convicted for his murder. Charges brought against individuals in 2010 and 2011 were withdrawn.
