Brian Fitzpatrick jailed for five years, with final two suspended, for explosives possession

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Brian Fitzpatrick (50) of Castle Ross in Dundalk was jailed for five years, with the final two suspended, after pleading guilty to possessing explosives at the Special Criminal Court. The sentence was backdated to August 25, 2015, when he entered custody.

The court heard that Fitzpatrick had pleaded guilty to one of two charges soon after the incident. Judge Paul Butler said he accepted Fitzpatrick was not in possession of a bomb and was not a member of a criminal organisation or gang. The suspended portion was conditional on lodging a €500 bond and avoiding association with known members of criminal organisations.