Court rejects application to have explosives case thrown out

The Special Criminal Court in Dublin today rejected defence applications to have the case against two men accused of having explosives in Co Louth thrown out.

Conan Murphy (aged 25), with an address at Plaster, Mountpleasant, Dundalk, Co Louth, has pleaded not guilty to the possession of explosive substances at Aghaboys, Mountpleasant on May 22, 2010.

His co-accused Philip McKevitt (aged 58) of Aghaboys, Mountpleasant, has also pleaded not guilty to the same offence at his home on the same date.

Last month, counsel for the two accused applied to the court for a direction to acquit them on the basis that if there was a jury there would be insufficient evidence to allow it go before a jury.

Today, Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding at the three-judge court, said that the court was satisfied that there was enough evidence that could go to a jury, if there was a jury.

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 court has heard evidence 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.

The trial began in November last year and is expected to resume later this month following the court’s ruling.