Offence 'aggravated by hatred': Two men plead guilty to attempt to damage Galway mosque

Garrett Pollock: Entered guilty plea before Dublin’s Special Criminal Court on Monday. File picture

Two men have pleaded guilty to a terrorism-related attempt to damage a Galway mosque last year.

Garrett Pollock, aged 35, of Kilhorne Green, Annalong, Co Down, and Darren Gorman, aged 34, of O’Moore Place, Portlaoise, Co Laois, entered guilty pleas before Dublin’s Special Criminal Court on Monday.

Pollock and Gorman both rose to their feet before the non-jury court and pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in terrorist or terrorist-linked activity to attempt to damage by fire Maryam Mosque in Galway between November 4 and 5 last year, in an offence “aggravated by hatred”.

Two other men charged with attempting to damage the mosque have yet to enter a plea. They are: Charles Flynn, aged 35, of Castlerock Avenue, Castleconnell, Co Limerick, and Karolis Peckauskas, aged 39, of Newfoundwell Road, Drogheda, Co Louth.

Peckauskas and Pollock are also charged with offences relating to the possession of weapons and an explosive substance.

Barristers representing Flynn and Peckauskas requested a hearing for mention on Monday, June 29, which was granted.

Pollock and Gorman are to appear before the court via videolink on that date.

An Garda Síochána and the PSNI are co-operating on a probe into an alleged plot by a group styling itself as the Irish Defence Army to attack the mosque.

Gardaí have told the court previously that they believed an attack on the Galway mosque was “imminent” and had seized a “manifesto document outlining an intention to attack” the first mosque in Ireland.