Six-year sentence for explosives charges

A 23-year-old Dublin man who pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to possession of explosives in his north Dublin home last September was jailed for six years today.

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 on September 30 last year.

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 lunchbox which contained 55 firework fuses. There was a second lunchbox which contained 130g of black firework powder and other items.

Conlon accepted responsibility for the lunchboxes 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.

Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding at the non jury court, said that Conlon had the makings of a pipe bombs and the court took the offence very seriously. The court sentenced him to six years imprisonment backdated to December 1 last year.