Diver Provides Testimony on Recovery of Damien Heagney’s Remains

A diver involved in the retrieval of Damien Heagney’s body from a County Tyrone reservoir has provided testimony during the ongoing trial of an individual charged with his murder. Stephen McCourt, aged 41, residing at Riverview in Augher, faces charges for the murder of Mr. Heagney, alleged to have occurred between December 30, 2021, and January 6, 2022. Mr. Heagney, who was 47 years old, had his remains located in a reservoir situated in Cappagh in August of 2022. His last known sighting was in Dromore on New Year’s Eve, 2021. The professional diver informed Belfast Crown Court that law enforcement contacted his supervisor in August 2022 regarding the search operation. He testified that upon his arrival at the location with his team, they initially “thought it was just a van recovery” but were subsequently informed that their task was to locate “looking for human remains”. The diver further stated that he received instructions to search for “keys, weapons, blood stained carpet and maybe a dog”. He recounted to the court that approximately 10 minutes into his dive, he experienced something striking his leg. “I looked down and there was a foot. I realised I’d found human remains,” he stated. The diver detailed observing a pair of feet encased in “fencing wire” and noted that “the body was cut in half”. Responding to inquiries from a prosecution lawyer, he clarified that the discovery was made nearly on the reservoir’s bed, approximately one foot from the very bottom. He informed the court that he was directed to persist with the search after notifying his colleagues of his finding of a body. The diver then stated he located what seemed to be a white bag enveloped in fence wire, though he could not discern its contents. Upon exiting the water, he mentioned that a police officer requested him to retrieve his findings. The diver testified that a tent was set up, and the remains were subsequently placed into a body bag. A crime scene investigator, also providing testimony, informed the court that the remains were put into two body bags and transported to Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital. A police officer who had an encounter with Damien Heagney on Christmas Day 2021 also presented evidence. He recounted that while on patrol, he observed a vehicle rapidly exiting the Tullyhogue Fort car park in Cookstown around 17:15 GMT, just as he was entering it. The constable stated that after stopping the vehicle, the driver, Mr. Heagney, adopted an “extremely aggressive” tone when questioned about insurance details and his presence at the location. The officer testified that he thought he could discern tablets in the central console of Mr. Heagney’s car and was apprehensive that they might be Class C controlled drugs. He stated that he conducted a search of Mr. Heagney after his colleagues arrived and “located some loose pregabalin tablets which are a class C controlled substance”. When questioned about a prescription for the tablets, Mr. Heagney identified two distinct doctors who might have prescribed them, both associated with “practice 400”. He further mentioned that Mr. Heagney also indicated he was residing in his vehicle. The officer reported that the tablets were confiscated to verify if they were prescribed, and Mr. Heagney received a caution. Following his inability to confirm if “practice 400 was a legitimate surgery,” he attempted to contact Mr. Heagney in early January to arrange an interview, but received no response. The court was informed that Mr. Heagney was designated as “wanted” within police information systems. The officer further stated that automatic number plate recognition verified his relocation to a nearby police district in Omagh. He testified to the court that after conducting several inquiries spanning six months, he could not establish contact with Mr. Heagney and believed he was “intentionally trying” to evade him. The proceedings are ongoing.