Man jailed for soldier taunts

Sapper Azimkar's family were taunted as they visited the scene of his murder

A man who taunted the family of a soldier who was shot dead by the Real IRA has been jailed for five months.

The court heard that Glen Dowd shouted paramilitary slogans at Sapper Patrick Azimkar's family while they paid their respects at the scene of his murder.

Patrick Azimkar was killed alongside Mark Quinsey in the attack outside Massereene Barracks, Antrim on 7 March.

Dowd, from The Meadows in Randalstown, shouted "up the Ra" as he drove past the grieving family.

Prosecutors described how, three days after the murders, Dowd was in a vehicle which drove slowly past the entrance to the barracks where members of Patrick Azimkar's family had gathered.

They had travelled from London to visit the scene where the 21-year-old soldier died in a hail of bullets as he collected a pizza on the eve of his deployment to Afghanistan.

Dowd was alleged to have wound down the window and shouted the slogan before driving away.

He returned the following day, and shouted the same slogan at the barracks, but was traced by police.

He was arrested on charges of disorderly behaviour.

The court was told how during police interview, the 22-year-old "smirked" and showed 'no sign of remorse' for his actions.

A defence solicitor said Dowd, a former bank employee, did not support any paramilitary organisations, or hold any political affiliations and could provide no explanation for his own actions.

"He is a man with immature attitudes and who engages in attention seeking behaviour," the solicitor said.

He added that his client accepted that he had "engaged in a verbal show of support".

Bail was refused pending an appeal.