Telling the jury the remains were part of a body that appeared to have been 'cut in half', the diver said they were located close to the bed of the reservoir
Damien Heagney was last seen alive at the end of December 2021. The 47-year old, from Cookstown in Co Tyrone , was reported missing in July 2022 and the following month his dismembered remains were located in Cappagh reservoir.
He said prior to entering the water, police at the scene said gave a briefing saying the search was for potential human remains, keys, weapons, a blood-stained carpet and possibly a dog. Telling the jury at Belfast Crown Court that the remains were part of a human body that appeared to have been "cut in half", the diver said they were located close to the bed of the reservoir.
When asked by Mr McHugh "could you see if anything was in the bag?", the diver said he "couldn't see anything in the bag." Following the discoveries of the two 'finds', the diver said he exited the water. When asked what happened next, he said: "A policeman came along and told me to get back into my gear and go back and retrieve the legs and the bag."
It's the Crown's case that Mr Heagney was last seen alive at the end of December 2021 and the last use of his mobile phone was at the start of January 2022 when he was in contact with McCourt.
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