Northern Ireland charges man with soldiers' murder

By Anne Cadwallader

BALLYMENA, Northern Ireland (Reuters) - A Northern Irish court on Thursday remanded in custody a 44-year-old man charged with murdering two British soldiers at an army barracks in March after investigators presented DNA evidence against him.

Police had charged Brian Patrick Shivers with the killing of the two soldiers, the attempted murder of six other people outside the Massereene Barracks in Antrim on March 7 and with the possession of a gun and ammunition.

Shivers, who was arrested on Tuesday, is the second person to be charged with the killings, which were claimed by the Real IRA -- a dissident republican group which opposes the mainstream IRA's cease-fire and the decommissioning of its weapons.

Colin Duffy, from County Armagh, has already been charged with the murders and is in custody awaiting trial.

Detective Inspector Justin Galloway told the court on Thursday that two matches found inside what police believe was the getaway car used in the attack had provided a full DNA profile which matched the defendant's.

He also said a partial DNA profile had been found on a mobile phone inside the car and on a match outside the car.

Shivers' lawyer Niall Murphy disputed the DNA evidence and made lengthy submissions in favour of bail but the magistrate remanded him in custody until August 18.

Galloway said the attack was "quite clearly a well planned and orchestrated terrorist attack" and that "the defendant would re-offend if released."