Accused denies having any part in bomb-making plot
A young Belfast man told detectives he was in Dublin to meet someone about “finance and accommodation”, after his arrest at a Clondalkin apartment on suspicion of unlawfully possessing bomb-making material, the Special Criminal Court has heard today.
Terry McConnell (aged 28) of Tullymore Gardens, Andersontown, Belfast is one of three young men accused of unlawfully having explosive material in their possession at an apartment in The Crescent, Park West Pointe, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 on September 9, 2008.
Mr McConnell, Cormac Fitzpatrick (aged 23) of Cathedral Walk, Monaghan, Co Monaghan and Gareth Byrne (27) of Park Crescent, Kimmage, Dublin 12, have all pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The special three-judge, non-jury court heard evidence from Detective Sergeant Donal Prenty, Special Detective Unit, who was involved in the questioning of Mr McConnell at Shankill garda station in south Dublin.
The court heard how Mr McConnell repeatedly denied having any involvement in the manufacturing of explosives. He told Detective Sergeant Prenty, he “definitely was not” in possession of any bomb-making paraphernalia when arrested.
The trial has already heard how the “principle components” of improvised explosive devices were discovered when armed gardaí raided the apartment in the early hours of September 9, 2008.
Propellant powder, steel pipes, bulbs, batteries, several travel alarm clocks and duct tape were among the items seized.
The court heard how Mr McConnell told investigating officers he carries out most of his business in Monaghan, but that on the date in question, he travelled to Dublin after work to “meet a person in Tallaght about finance and accommodation”.
He said he asked his friend, Cormac Fitzpatrick, to accompany him so that he “would stay awake”. Mr McConnell said he was not familiar with Dublin and that they get lost on their way to Tallaght.
Mr McConnell told Detective Sergeant Prenty a phone conversation took place between him and a man. Mr McConnell said he was “under the impression” this person was the same man he had previously dealt with.
He said he was directed to travel to an address and that once there, he and Mr Fitzpatrick were asked to stand in the bathroom. He told Detective Sergeant Prenty that he was “only there for an extremely brief period” before the raid took place.
Mr McConnell said he did not “want to explain why” he was wearing surgical gloves at the time of his arrest.
The trial also heard evidence of forensic analysis, carried out on two mobile phones, seized by gardaí during the raid.
Detective Sergeant Pat Morrissey, Garda Telecommunications Division, said he extracted data from a mobile phone recovered from Mr Gareth Byrne.
Mr Byrne was arrested as part of the same operation in a car park, opposite the apartment complex.
Detective Sergeant Morrissey told the court there was an outgoing text message contained on the phone that had been sent to a stored contact.
The message read “will you come on the f**k”. He said he was unable to ascertain at what time or on what date this message had been sent.
Detective Brian Halligan, Garda Telecommunications Division, also gave evidence today. He told the court he was responsible for extracting data from a mobile phone connected to one of persons arrested inside the apartment.
He told the court that the last entry in the SMS cache was a message received at 23.58pm on September 8, 2008 which read “will you come on the f**k”.
The trial continues on Tuesday next.
