Garda denies deciding to 'do' accused in IRA membership trial

A Garda witness in the case of a man on trial for membership of the IRA has denied that he and his colleagues decided to "do" the accused for membership, when they found no firearms in his possession.

In his evidence to the Special Criminal Court, Detective Garda Kevin Hoey said he received instructions that Criostoir Mac Carthaigh was travelling to an IRA fundraiser with a group of alleged IRA members on March 28, 2009, and that they may be in possession of firearms.

He said he was directed to intercept two cars that were traveling in convoy along the N4 at Lucan, Dublin that evening, and after doing so along with a team of gardaí, he arrested the accused.

Mr Mac Carthaigh, of An Gleann, Baile Phamar (Palmerstown) was subsequently charged with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself on the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA.

He denies the charge.

Under cross-examination by counsel for the defence, Mr Diarmaid McGuinness SC, Detective Hoey said that his Garda colleagues found no firearms after searching the two cars.

“Did you say to anyone, no firearms have been found so we'll have to do them for membership?” Mr McGuinness asked. Detective Hoey replied that that had never been said.

The court heard that gardaí found four boiler suits, cable ties, balaclavas, gloves and two knives in the cars.

Five screws, which the court heard are regularly used for making pipe bombs, were found at the accused's home, while a bag of cable ties and a raffle ticket for the republican prisoner's annual Easter draw were discovered in his car.

The trial resumes in the morning.