The High Court in Belfast has been told that more than 20 people are under death threats following the murder of a Catholic man in Co Derry three months ago.
49-year-old community worker Kevin McDaid was killed and his neighbour, Damien Fleming, was severely injured after they were attacked by a 40-strong loyalist mob in a nationalist area in Coleraine in a dispute over the flying of republican flags.
During a bail application for 28-year-old James McAfee, who is accused of Mr McDaid's murder and denies the charge, a prosecution lawyer said the case had produced a phenomenal amount of community tension resulting in 24 people being warned by the PSNI that their lives were in danger.
The lawyer said half of the death threats were in relation to prosecution witnesses and the remainder were people allegedly involved or believed to have been involved in the murder.
The judge said he would give his ruling on the bail application by Mr McAfee on Friday.
