Man Denied Bail for Bomb Hoaxes, Drug Charges

0:00I'm Cory with the story. That's your Europe News Today update, AI-powered and always on. A 46-year-old man from West Belfast named James Carlin just got denied bail by a high-core judge for a string of bomb hoaxes and intimidation. Calls aimed at vehicle recovery companies working with the PSNI. He's also facing drug charges from the same probe. Prosecutors say he targeted four businesses with threats, including fake bomb timers blamed on a Republican group, but no real devices turned up. Meanwhile, Carlin's co-accused 33-year-old Michael Claxton from Lisburn was reportedly involved in making those calls from public phone. Boxes around that area. The pair allegedly used a rented car, with Claxton staying behind the wheel while Carlin stepped into the booths. According to the prosecution, detectives linked them through CCTV footage showing the rental car at the phone spots right when the calls went down. They got nabbed on February 4th as they returned the vehicle, and cops seized three mobile

1:02phones loaded with messages pointing to drug dealing by, both guys. Carlin's lawyer pushed back, saying his client denies everything and even handed over his phone. Penn, arguing he could stick to any release rules. Claxton actually got out on strict bail terms last month, but the judge wasn't buying it for Carlin. Lady Chief Justice Shavan Keegan shut it down flat, citing a very high risk he'd reoffend, and no conditions could handle that threat. So he's staying locked up for now.