Pair accused of court escape

Pair were brought to Downpatrick courthouse under heavy security

Two men have appeared in court, accused of escaping from a courthouse in County Down last week.

David Albert Taggart, 22, from Belfast and Ian Oliver Carlin, 31, from Ardglass, County Down, were brought to court guarded by a heavy police presence on Monday.

The pair are alleged to have overpowered a policeman in the cells of Downpatrick Courthouse on Thursday afternoon before making a run for freedom.

They appeared separately at Downpatrick Magistrates' Court on Monday, with each man surrounded by six police officers.

Both were charged with escaping from Downpatrick Courthouse, causing grievous bodily harm to a police officer and hijacking.

Taggart was accused of assaulting a woman, while Carlin was charged with assaulting a three-month-old baby girl during the escape.

Both men were remanded in custody to appear by video link at Downpatrick Court on 15 May.

Taggart, who is waiting to be sentenced for murder, was found at a house in the Ormeau Road area of south Belfast on Saturday.

A few hours later, Carlin was arrested at Colinglen Road in west Belfast.

A woman was also arrested at the scene.