Science graduate jailed for having pipe bomb parts

A science graduate was sentenced to five years by the Special Criminal Court today for possessing parts for pipe bombs in Dublin last year.

The three judge court suspended half of the jail term imposed on Ciaran Cahill (aged 36) of Glenville Drive, Castleknock after he “got into the box” and “gave assurances” of good behaviour in the future.

Mr Cahill, who has science qualifications from both Irish and British institutions, said he has “serious regrets” over the “ridiculous” incident, which has “destroyed” his life.

He pleaded guilty on February 12 last, to unlawfully possessing explosive substances, namely five pipe bomb casings, at a property on Ulster Street, Phibsboro in Dublin on March 26, 2009

Detective Garda Thomas Maguire, Special Detective Unit, told Mr Garlett Orange BL, for the State, a balaclava and a bag containing the casings were discovered in a shed on the property during a Garda raid.

Detective Maguire said the army bomb disposal team was alerted, and the items were later examined by an expert from the Garda ballistics section.

It was discovered the casings were not filled with explosive substances and were “not drilled for fuses” but were considered components for explosive devices under relevant legislation.

Mr Cahill’s DNA was obtained from the handle of the shopping bag.

He was arrested and interviewed by investigating gardaí to whom he “co-operated in significant detail”.

The court heard that prior to the incident, Cahill was “a highly thought of” science student at a University in the UK who returned to Ireland with a reference from a Nobel Prize winner.

He started up a business, for a brief time, “cutting pipes”, after he had “difficulties” finding other employment here, and was offered “some work” making pipe casings.

He told gardaí he had “concerns” they were to be used as pipe bombs but that he “put this to the back” of his mind.

Mr Cahill told the court he “very sorry” and had “serious regrets” over the “ridiculous” offence.

Imposing its sentence on Mr Cahill today, the Special Criminal Court said it considered the offence to be “very serious” as the Castleknock man was “clearly a cog in some form of assembly machine” for explosive devices.

But it held he had lived “a relatively blameless life” before this incident and considered “significant”, the “not very frequent circumstance” of an accused person undertaking “a promise” to no longer engage in such behaviour.

The court handed down a five-year term but suspended half of this, reducing the time to be served in jail to two and a half years.

The term was backdated to August, 2009.

Mr Cahill told the court he hoped to gain employment in science research after his release from prison.