Semtex accused 'bringing tobacco to friend'

A former Irish soldier accused of having ammunition and Semtex at a house in Limerick last year told the Special Criminal Court today that he was bringing duty free tobacco to a friend when gardai raided the house.

James Bullman said: "That was the only reason I was in the house that night."

In defence evidence he told his counsel Mr Anthony Sammon SC that he did not see ammunition in plastic bags which gardai discovered in the sitting room where he was arrested.

He also denied seeing or having any knowledge of a brown paper bag containing an explosive substance or a rubber glove which had traces of the explosive and which were found in the sitting room. The court was told that Bullman’s fingerprint was found on the brown paper bag.

It was the fifth 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 Sarsfield Court, Garryowen, Limerick on November 6 last year.

Bullman said that he arrived at the bungalow at Sarsfield Court about 10 minutes before gardai raided it. He said he had brought duty free tobacco which he had obtained in the Canary Islands for the owner of the house, Mr Christopher Dineen.

While he was sitting in the sitting room he heard a shout of "armed gardai" and a bang at the door and then another shout of "armed gardai".

He said a detective pointed a revolver at him and told him to stand up and then turned him around and handcuffed him.

Bullman denied that he saw a smoke grenade in a plastic bag on the ground or that he saw or knew about assorted ammunition which gardai found in two bags.

Cross examined by prosecuting counsel Mr Shane Murphy SC, Bullman said he had been in the Irish Army for seven years and had been trained in the use of firearms and the handling of ammunition.

Bullman also said that he had done an introduction course for the Army Ranger Wing and added: "I was just interested in soldiering."

He denied suggestions that he had seen the bullets and smoke grenade in the sitting room.

The court is expected to give its verdict in the trial next Tuesday.