Man guilty of possession of explosives was already serving suspended sentence

A 22-year-old Dublin man who pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to possession of explosives in his north Dublin home last September was remanded to a District Court to allow the court to consider a suspended sentence handed down for another offence.

Joseph Conlon of St Anne's Drive, Raheny pleaded guilty in February to the unlawful possession of explosive substances including a rectangular plastic Tupperware box containing 55 firework fuses, a round plastic Tupperware box containing 130 grams of firework pyrotechnic powder, a mortar and pestle, three Roman candle fireworks, a plastic tool box containing bulbs, wires, a pipe cutter, pliers, file and a roll of solder and a plastic bag containing match heads and empty firework wrapping.

Today, the Special Criminal Court was told that Conlon's last conviction was at Swords District Court in February 2008 when he was given a three-month prison sentence suspended for two years for a public order offence.

Judge William Hamill, one of the three judges, pointed out that under the law, Conlon must be sent back to the District Court to allow the judge to consider activating the suspended sentence before the Special Criminal Court can sentence him.

Detective Garda Robert Reilly, Special Detective Unit, told the court that gardaí investigating the movement of explosive devices for the IRA in the Dublin area searched Conlon's family home.

Conlon who initially was in a neighbour's back garden voluntarily returned to the house and told gardaí: "I'll give you what you want.''

He pointed out a rucksack which contained a plastic lunch box which contained 55 firework fuses. There was a second lunchbox which contained 130 grammes of black firework powder and other items.

Conlon accepted responsibility for the lunch boxes and the other items.

Det Gda Reilly said that the items found constituted component parts for a pipe bomb, either one large device or several smaller ones.

He said that the black powder was used inside a pipe to cause an explosion which had the potential to cause serious injury or a fatality.

The court remanded Conlon to Swords District Court next Tuesday and after his case is dealt with there he will be returned to the Special Criminal Court for sentencing.