Court sees CCTV evidence in bombmaking trial

The Special Criminal Court today saw CCTV evidence of a man renting a cement mixer, which was seized at a farmyard where a large haul of explosives was found the following day.

Joseph Fee (aged 40), of Blackstaff, Inniskeen, Co Monaghan, and Eamonn Matthews (aged 25), Dublin Road, Killeen, Newry, Co Down have pleaded not guilty to the unlawful possession of an explosive substance - ammonium nitrate and sugar (ANS) - and having the explosive with intent to endanger life at Thornfield, Inniskeen, Co Louth on June 13, 2003.

Eamonn Matthews was taped at a machine hire shop in Valley Lodge, Carrickmacross, behind the counter, accompanied by another man.

Mr Blaise O'Carroll SC, for Eamonn Matthews, asked the witness if he could "see the taller person in the video in court today". Mr Adrian Conlon replied: "Yes, it's Matthews."

"Looking at the CCTV footage, it was the man accompanying Matthews who paid for the rental," said Mr Conlon. The court then heard that Matthews signed the invoice.

The court has heard that Fee and Matthews were arrested after a major garda operation in north Co Louth last year. The operation culminated on June 13 when gardaí entered a farmyard and shed at Thornfield and found two men in the course of manufacturing a bomb.

The court has heard that Fee was arrested allegedly driving away from the farmyard at Thornfield and that Matthews was arrested later that day in Co Louth.

The trial is continuing.