Dundalk man jailed for 11 years on explosives charge

A Dundalk man who admitted conspiracy to cause an explosion outside a Co Armagh police station last year was jailed for 11 years by the Special Criminal Court in Dublin today.

David Murphy last month pleaded guilty to “unlawfully or maliciously” conspiring with others to cause an explosion, of a nature likely to endanger life or cause serious harm to people or property, contrary to the Explosives Act.

The 30-year-old father of two, with an address at Ashling Park, Cox's Demesne, Dundalk, Co Louth was charged with the offence last May, following the attempted car bombing outside Crossmaglen police station in South Armagh on April 3, last.

Detective Superintendent Diarmuid O'Sullivan, Special Detective Unit, told the court that a car was abandoned outside the Crossmaglen PSNI station at 10.41pm on April 3 last year. A man who telephoned the Samaritans in Newry around the same time used the codeword "barrackbuster" and said a bomb had been left outside the police station.

A bomb disposal expert who examined the car saw two gas cylinders, wiring and a car battery in the car. Following a controlled explosion the device was made safe and the gas cylinders were found to contain a mixture of petrol and paraffin and the cylinders had initiators and a toggle switch fitted.

The court heard that Murphy had not driven the vehicle containing the device to Crossmaglen, but had been present when it was fitted with the device and was the person who made the phone call warning to the Samaritans.

Detective Supt O' Sullivan agreed with Murphy's counsel, Mr Patrick Gageby SC, that Murphy had a drink problem and he said that he had seven previous convictions for road traffic offences.

Jailing him for 11 years, Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding at the three-judge non-jury court said that Murphy had pleaded guilty to a very serious offence which attracted a maximum sentence of 20 years.

The judge said that the court, having taken everything into account, had reached the conclusion that the correct sentence was 11 years imprisonment, backdated to the date of his arrest on May 7 last year.