Assistant Chief of Police Bobby Singleton also confirmed that no telephone conversations took place the day before a bag full of weapons and ammunition was found in the trunk of Irwin’s car, a judge said. Prosecutors provided the information as a second defendant in connection with the Belfast seizure filed for bail earlier this month. Robin Workman, from Shore Road in Larne, Co Antrim, is charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition under suspicious circumstances, possession of a prohibited firearm, possession of an unlicensed pistol and unlicensed ammunition. Assistant Chief Bobby Singleton (Image: PSNI) The 51-year-old self-employed carpenter allegedly carried the weapons to a meeting with Irvine in the Glencairn area of North Belfast on June 8. Police say Workman pulled and picked up an object from his van during an interaction between the two suspects. Irvine’s car then stopped on Disraeli Street, where police found two suspicious pistols, an airgun, cartridges and more than 200 rounds of ammunition in a Calvin Klein leather case inside a plastic boot shopping bag. He denied knowing anything about the contents of the bag. Irvine, from the Ballysillan area of Belfast, is currently in custody for the same firearms charges. His lawyer described him as a “famous peace builder” who believed he was taking things from one person to an “honest broker on the other”. He had previously been suggested to have telephoned ACC Singleton on July 7, the day before his car was stopped, as part of efforts to help unused weapons. In court today, the prosecutor said: “Mr Irvine made a prepared statement to say that he was working as an interlocutor and stated that he had been instructed to attend specific locations, including Disraeli Street, and had previously been involved in the decommissioning of weapons. “But he did not go so far as to say that this was the exact purpose of his presence at this time.” He also provided a response from the senior PSNI officer to the alleged contact. “ACC Singleton has confirmed that there was no telephone communication between Mr Irvine and himself,” the lawyer said. “They did not talk on the phone on the 7th [of June] nor did he ever talk about disarmament with Mr Irvine. “ Workman was also arrested on June 8 after attending a hospital appointment in Ballymena, Co Antrim. Based on CCTV and forensic evidence, detectives believe he was the driver of the van involved in the exchange with Irvine. His DNA is a possible contributor to a mixed profile found on the handle of the leather case, according to the court. Opposing his release, the prosecutor argued: “What has been retrieved has all the characteristics of a criminal organization with ammunition and weapons at its disposal that look terribly authentic. A UVF jumper and a magazine, paramilitary banners and weapons books are also said to have been found at an address linked to Workman. He denies being the driver of the van involved in the alleged handover of weapons. Defense attorney Paul Bacon claimed that the video from the CCTV of the incident was covert and stressed that his client was not selected in the identification process. “It is connected to it by a weak blow of DNA on a moving object, the handle of a bag,” Bacon added. “I want time to consider the submissions,” said Judge O’Hara, referring to the decision on the bail application. To receive the latest news directly in your inbox, subscribe to our free newsletter.
