Bomb-making equipment found in house, court told

Bomb-making material with sufficient force to cause a large bomb to explode was found by gardaí when they raided a house in Limerick city last November, the Special Criminal Court was told today.

Forensic scientist Michael Norton from the state laboratory told the court that a brown putty-like material recovered from the fireplace of the house was 720 grams of Semtex, made up of a mixture of the explosive chemicals PETN and RDX.

A white free-flowing substance found in a brown envelope in the sitting room was also a mix of RDX and PETN crystals, while a third bag in the kitchen contained RDX crystals embedded in plastic material.

"The free flowing powder is used to fill plastic tubing and is placed in part of a larger bomb to act as a booster charge," Mr Norton said.

The scientist was giving evidence on the third day of the trial of James Bullman, aged 38, of St Ita St, St Mary’s Park, Limerick who has denied the unlawful possession of 283 rounds of assorted ammunition, a smoke hand grenade and the explosive substance PETN and RDX (Semtex) at Sarsfied Court, Garryowen, Limerick on November 6 last year.

Mr Norton confirmed that he traced deposits of the chemicals PETN and RDX on a Stanley knife blade and on rubber gloves also recovered from the scene by gardaí.

Tests for explosive materials on the clothing of the accused proved negative.

He agreed with Michael Bowman BL for the defence that it was not unreasonable to assume that someone’s clothing would have traces of the white powder substance if that person had come into contact with the substance.

Garda Brian Lynch told the court that he also recovered a hand grenade in a bag in the sitting room, two bags containing bullets and the explosives from the house in the Garryowen area of the city.

The court has heard that Bullman denied any involvement in the possession of the ammunition and explosives to gardaí and claimed that he had been bringing tobacco to a friend when he was arrested.

The trial continues on Tuesday.