Courts / Dublin / Report

Man jailed after FBI rumbled plot to buy explosives over Dark Web

Date
2018-10-22

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Jonathan Hawthorn, 45, of Ballintyre Downs, Dublin, was convicted of membership in the Irish Republican Army (IRA) after an FBI agent uncovered a Dublin-based plot to purchase a grenade and Semtex on the Dark Web. The court found that Hawthorn received a fake delivery of explosives, photographed on a balcony at Dolphin House, and was later arrested with a dummy grenade and fake Semtex in a sports bag. He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, backdated to 16 July when he entered custody. His co-accused, James Geraghty (61) and Donal O'Ceallaigh (33), were found not guilty of IRA membership. The judge noted Hawthorn's prior public order convictions and family circumstances as mitigating factors, but emphasized the seriousness of his deliberate conduct involving explosive materials. The case highlighted the use of undercover FBI operations and Garda surveillance to intercept the illicit purchase and delivery of weapons.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man jailed after FBI rumbled plot to buy explosives over Dark Web. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Found guilty; Acquitted

When:

September 14, 2016 Incident
July 16 Incident
September 3, 2016 Other
2018-10-22 Publication

Why: The judges found that Hawthorn had refused to answer material questions about his possession of the fake explosives and that this was because his answers would not stand up to scrutiny. CNI source report

Case subjects

James Geraghty

Co Accused

Finding: Acquitted

Outcome: Acquitted; Passing sentence today, Ms Justice Kennedy presiding at the non-jury court, said that Semtex and an F-1 Soviet fragmentation grenade were ordered from the Dark Net by an individual who is not before the court.

Jonathan Hawthorn

Convicted Person

Finding: Found guilty

Outcome: Found guilty; The judge said the mitigating factors in Hawthorn's sentence were his family circumstances and the effect his incarceration would have on them. Sentencing the defendant today, Ms Justice Kennedy, sitting with Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge Gerard Haughton, sentenced Hawthorn to five years imprisonment, backdated to July 16 when he went into custody.