Petrol bombs ‘to be used in attack on state witness’

TWO petrol bombs found stashed in the front garden of a house in Southill were intended for an attack on the nearby home of a key state witness due to give evidence against people in an organised crime trial, Limerick Circuit Court heard.

Christopher Keane, aged 19, with an address at O’Callaghan’s Mills, Co Clare, pleaded guilty to possessing the bombs on dates between August 4 and August 7 last year.

Detective Garda Paul Crowley of Roxboro Road Station said gardaí were alerted after a person came across the bombs when he investigated a plastic bag hidden in a hedge.

CCTV, which had been used by gardaí to protect a man referred to as ‘Mr A’, showed Keane leaving the bag with the bombs where they were located.

The house was near the home of Mr A in Carew Park.

John O’Sullivan, prosecuting, said Mr A was a critical state witness in a case involving people linked with organised crime.

Mr O’Sullivan said the bombs were to be used for an attack on Mr A’s home and car.

Det Garda Crowley said the accused was seen on three occasions between August 4 and August 7 on CCTV which covered the area near Mr A’s home.

When arrested, Keane took responsibility for placing the petrol bombs, and claimed he had acquired them to burn out the car of a person in Janesboro he was fighting with.

Keane denied the petrol bombs were for use against Mr A, but gardaí believed Keane had come under the influence of more sinister people involved in organised crime, who had been convicted of serious offences.

The court was told that Keane had been associating with criminal elements in Limerick, who he had got to know through a relative.

Keane, the court was told, was out on bail in relation to another matter when the petrol bomb offences occurred.

Keane, along with Brian Duggan, aged 20, of Rock Place, Carew Park, also pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal damage to machinery.

Damage amounting to over €46,500 was caused at a heavy machinery business in O’Callaghan’s Mills on the night of June 24/25, 2009, when both went on a rampage after a drink and drugs spree, the court heard.

Steven Coughlan, prosecuting, said both travelled out from Limerick to the home of Keane’s mother, who had moved to O’Callaghan’s Mills.

After a night of drink and drugs, they went to a neighbouring property where Jim McInerney ran a heavy machinery business. They proceeded to start up machines and drove them around causing considerable damage.

One machine was written off when it was driven into the side of a dairy parlour. A John Deere tractor was crashed into a diesel tank, spilling over 2,000 litres of fuel.

Mr McInerney recovered €34,000 from his insurers but the balance for the damage caused came to more than €12,400.

The two were arrested after a trail of debris led gardaí to the home of Ms Keane.

The court heard Ms Keane was greatly embarrassed at what her son and Duggan had done as she had just moved into the community and was trying to settle there.

Judge Carroll Moran adjourned the cases to December 6.