// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Man pleads guilty to charges linked to Simon Coveney bomb hoax
Coveney had been attending an event when the hoax call was made
A man has pleaded guilty to charges relating to a loyalist bomb hoax targeting the former Irish foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney.
Darren James Service, 45, of Ballysillan Road in north Belfast, appeared at Belfast Crown Court on Wednesday.
His trial was due to begin on 7 September. Senior defence counsel Joseph O'Keefe KC told Judge Gordon Kerr KC that he had an application for Service to be re-arraigned on two of the three charges he faced which he had previously denied.
Service entered guilty pleas to hijacking a Vauxhall Vivaro van and placing an article causing a bomb hoax at the Houben Centre, Holy Cross Church on the Crumlin Road on 25 March 2022.
A senior Crown prosecutor told the court: "Those pleas are acceptable to the prosecution.''
He added that he had an application to leave the first count of preparation of acts of terrorism on the books of the court "and not to be proceeded with without the leave of this court or the Court of Appeal''.
Judge Kerr ordered a MARA (Multi-Agency Review Arrangements) report to be prepared on Service by the Department of Justice and set the plea and sentence hearing for 4 November.
O'Keefe said he would submit a number of updated medical reports on the defendant ahead of the plea hearing.
Service was released on continuing bail ahead of sentencing.