Trial hears that knives, tape and cable ties were found in coalshed

The trial at the Special Criminal Court of four men accused of INLA membership has heard that three knives, duct-tape and cable ties were found in the coal-shed of a house that two of the accused men had entered.

Gerard Kelleher (aged 28), Cathedral View Walk, Kevin St, Dublin 8, Neil Myles (aged 54), of no fixed abode, Edward McGarrigle (aged 43), Melmont Gardens, Strabane, Co Tyrone, and John McCrossan (aged 47), Ballycoleman Estate, Strabane, Co Tyrone have all pleaded not guilty to membership of an illegal organisation, styling itself the INLA on February 22 last year, contrary to the Offences Against the State Act.

Earlier, Gareth Dunne (aged 23), of Clonard Rd, Crumlin pleaded guilty to the same offence on the same date. He was remanded for sentencing at the end of the trial of the other four men.

Opening the trial, prosecuting counsel Mary Ellen Ring SC said that a number of witnesses will tell the court that the four accused were seen at meetings held in Dublin and Cork between August 2007 and February 2008.

The court will hear that the accused men were seen with other people not before the court, who will be referred to as Messrs A, B and C.

She said there will be evidence of the movement of people in October 2007 which will include entry into a premises known as Monteville in the Lover’s Walk, Montenotte, Cork city.

Ms Ring said that the court will hear that, on November 6 and 7, 2007, Dunne, the man who pleaded guilty, travelled to Cork from Dublin and met with others, who were under garda surveillance.

Dunne was observed going into the premises at Lover’s Walk, then returning to the car in which he had travelled.

There will also be evidence that Dunne drove past the premises on November 7 and that he was with others who were monitoring the movements of the occupants of the house.

The occupants were Denis Maguire, his wife Phil Ahern and their daughter, who was nine years old at the time.

The court will hear that Mr Kelleher, Mr McGarrigle and Mr Myles gave false names when staying in Cork and that Mr McGarrigle gave a false name to gardaí on February 11, 2008, while at the Mercantile pub.

Ms Ring said the evidence will be that Dunne returned to Cork on February 21 accompanied by Mr Kelleher and that they met with Mr McGarrigle and Mr McCrossan.

The court will hear that Dunne and Mr Kelleher checked into the Garnish House B&B and were later seen in a car driven by Mr Myles. The car was seen driving past the premises at Lover’s Walk, pausing at the entrance.

The court will hear that the accused men and Dunne met on February 22 at the Lancaster Lodge Hotel and that Mr Myles drove Dunne and Mr Kelleher to the premises at Lover’s Walk, then returned to the hotel at 3.15pm.

Ms Ring said there will be evidence that Mr McCrossan was observed leaving the hotel with Dunne and Mr Kelleher later and dropping them off to a carpark where they had left a BMW the night before.

She said that Dunne and Mr Kelleher were observed driving to Lover’s Walk and entering the premises.

The court will hear that Mr Maguire returned home at 8pm in the company of two gardaí and that two men not known to him – Dunne and Mr Kelleher - were on the premises.

Ms Ring said the evidence will be that the two men were arrested and searched and that Dunne had a pair of tights and Mr Kelleher had a nylon stocking, a pair of gloves and a black refuse sack.

She said that the coal-shed was also searched and a black-handled knife, duct tape, cable ties and two other black-handled knives were found.

Ms Ring said that there will also be evidence from two superintendents that their belief is that the accused men are members of the INLA.

She said that the men met for the purposes of carrying out a criminal enterprise and that Dunne and Mr Kelleher were equipped and waiting for Mr Maguire to arrive home so that they could carry out the criminal act.

She said the evidence will be that the meetings beforehand were preparatory to the criminal enterprise.

The trial continues.