Belfast man accused murdering of former cop Brian Coulter pleads not guilty

Mr Coulter's body was discovered in a flat in the Sandy Braes area of Magherafelt in October 2021.

Sebastian Adrian Nowak, from Colvil Street in Belfast, has been charged with his murder and attended Belfast Crown Court via a videolink with HMP Maghaberry.

Nowak confirmed via a Polish interpreter that he could see and hear the proceedings.

He was then charged with murdering 62-year-old Mr Coulter on a date between October 13-18, 2021, and when asked how he pleaded, Nowak replied “not guilty.”

Nowak was also charged with assaulting a woman on October 18, 2021 and both assaulting police and resisting police on the same date.

When charged with these offences, he entered “not guilty” pleas to all three charges.

As relatives of Mr Coulter sat in the public gallery, a barrister for Nowak told the court “there is no dispute that the defendant was indeed the person at the home of the deceased and there is no dispute about an altercation within the home which appears to have led to the death of Mr Coulter.”

Gavan Duffy KC added that the two central issues in the case are those of self-defence and criminal intent.

Mr Justice O'Hara said: “I will list this case for review on Friday June the 2nd when I expect to be informed about what shape the trial is likely to take, when it can start and how long it might take.”