Explosives case continues in Special Criminal Court

A trial has continued today at the Special Criminal Court of two Louth men charged with possession of explosive substances in May 2010.

Philip McKevitt (aged 58) of Aghaboys, Mount Pleasant, Dundalk and Conan Murphy (aged 25) of Plaster, Mount Pleasant, Dundalk, have both pleaded not guilty to possession of explosive substances at Mr McKevitt’s premises on May 22, 2010.

The State contends that gardaí who raided Philip McKevitt’s home discovered in an outbuilding an "adaptive" advertising trailer constructed for the purposes of concealing two gas containers, which in turn had been modified to cause an explosion.

The trial has heard that Gardaí had placed the address under surveillance as part of an operation focusing on the suspected movement and manufacture of vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices by members of the IRA.

Mr Murphy told gardaí that he occasionally called to Philip 'Barney' McKevitt’s house to have a cup of tea and give him a hand around the house.

He said that on the night of his arrest he had called to Aghaboys, had a cup of tea with Mr McKevitt and was outside in a shed getting firewood for his pot-belly stove when gardaí raided the premises.

The court is now considering legal submissions raised by the defence.