Courts / Dublin / Report

Explosives find three quarters the size of Omagh bomb

Date
2019-04-08

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

In a Special Criminal Court hearing, John Roche (55) and John Brock (46) were found guilty of possessing 167 kg of explosives in the boot of a car on Naas Road, Dublin 12, on 13 April 2016. The court noted the explosives included 57 kg of ANFO and thirty‑eight 2.5 kg rolls of Kemegel industrial explosives, amounting to roughly three‑quarters of the 227 kg of ANFO used in the Omagh bombing of 15 August 2008, which killed 29 people. Detective Sergeant Tom Power compared the Naas Road bomb to other large bombs, such as a 30 kg ANFO keg found in Finnstown House hotel and a 50 kg ANFO keg in Kilcurry Church, both in May 2014. The court also heard that 18 detonators were found under the front passenger seat. Mr Brock had a prior firearms conviction from 2008, while Mr Roche had no prior convictions. The sentencing was adjourned to Friday morning. John Brock pleaded not guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Explosives find three quarters the size of Omagh bomb. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted

When:

April 13, 2016 Incident
August 15, 2008 Other
May 2014 Incident
April 13 Incident
2019-04-08 Publication

Case subjects

John Brock

Convicted Person

Plea: Not guilty

Finding: Convicted

Outcome: Convicted; At their sentence hearing in the Special Criminal Court this morning, Detective Sergeant Tom Power, a ballistics expert, compared the volume or weight of the explosives found in the boot of the car on the Naas Road with other high-profile bombs previously found elsewhere by gardaí.; He adjourned the sentencing until Friday morning.