Courts / Longford / Report
Queen's visit bomber claims Irish language rights were "decimated and destroyed" at trial
Summary
A man from Drumlish, County Longford, has appealed his conviction for possessing an explosive substance and making hoax bomb threats during a state visit in 2011. Dónal Billings, aged 67, was found guilty by the Special Criminal Court of placing a device on a Dublin-bound bus at Longford railway station car park on 16 May 2011, and of making false reports of bombs at multiple locations including Dublin Castle and Cork Airport. He received a sentence of eight-and-a-half years imprisonment. His appeal, heard before the Court of Appeal, is being conducted in Irish, marking the first such case since the court's establishment in 2014. Counsel for Billings argued that the State failed to protect his client's Irish language rights, citing the unavailability of transcripts in Irish and the non-translation of relevant legislation. The hearing continues.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Queen's visit bomber claims Irish language rights were "decimated and destroyed" at trial. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- May 16th, 2011 Incident
- May 16 Incident
- May 18, 2011 Incident
- May 20th Other
- May 16, 2011 Incident
- May 18th Other
- 2019-01-15 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; Sentencing him to eight-and-a-half years imprisonment, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding said Billings was "perfectly entitled to hold a low opinion" of Queen Elizabeth and her visit to Ireland but "not entitled to express such an opinion by engaging in criminality".
Places mentioned
- Special Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
- The Special Criminal Court
- was made to Longford Garda Station
- Longford
Topics
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