A judge has said he was “not prepared to collude” with organisations who targetted people on drug charges for shooting.
District Judge Barney McElholm was speaking at Derry Magistrates Court as he granted anonymity to a man and a woman who were returned for trial on drug charges.
The man was charged with being concerned in the supply of cocaine, pregabalin and cannabis on dates in October 2023 and possessing cocaine.
He was further charged with possessing a knife in a public place, obstructing police and threatening to damage property on October 10 2023.
The woman and the man were charged with conspiring with others to supply class A and class B drugs on dates in 2022.
It was accepted there was a case to answer and there were no contrary submissions.
Both were returned for trial to Derry Crown Court on February 6 and released on bail.
Granting anonymity Judge McElholm said he believed in an open court and would not grant anonymity ‘if it was not for a certain organisation who said gloating they used newspaper reports to target people".
He said he was not going to assist this organisation.