Man who transported training mortar in child's backpack avoids jail

A 29-year-old man from Ballysodare in Sligo has received a fully suspended sentence following his conviction at the Special Criminal Court for assisting an unlawful organisation. Damhan McFadden pleaded guilty in November 2019 to knowingly rendering assistance to the IRA by transporting an inert training mortar in a child's backpack in August 2016. Presiding judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt imposed a two-year-eight-month suspended sentence, noting McFadden had engaged in intentional conduct but was entitled to a reduction for his guilty plea and absence of previous convictions. The judge stated McFadden became involved through a "misguided and romanticised notion of republican ideals". McFadden entered a bond of €100 to keep the peace for the suspension period. His co-accused, Julian Flohr, was convicted of membership of the same unlawful organisation and received two years and ten months imprisonment.