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Man caught driving car with 152kg in explosives in boot fails in appeal
Summary
In March 2021, John Roche, a 57‑year‑old barber from Bridgefoot Street, Dublin, lost an appeal against the severity of his seven‑year prison sentence for possessing 152 kg of homemade explosives. The appeal argued that Roche had no prior convictions, was well‑known for charitable work, and had not previously attracted Garda attention. The Court of Appeal upheld the Special Criminal Court's decision, noting that Roche's sentence had been reduced from a headline ten years to seven after considering mitigating factors such as his good record and community standing. The court found no rational basis for suspending any part of Roche's sentence, unlike co‑accused John Brock, whose 18‑month suspended portion was tied to a condition of dissociating from the IRA. John Brock pleaded not guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man caught driving car with 152kg in explosives in boot fails in appeal. Charges or matters: possession of 57kg of homemade explosives, consisting of ammonium nitrate fuel mix, and 38 2.5kg rolls of Kemegel industrial explosives at Naas Road, Dublin 12. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted
When:
- April 13th, 2016 Incident
- 2021-03-05 Publication
Why: There would not have been any rational basis for suspending any part of Roche's sentence, Justice McCarthy said, because he is not considered likely to reoffend. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: possession of 57kg of homemade explosives, consisting of ammonium nitrate fuel mix, and 38 2.5kg rolls of Kemegel industrial explosives at Naas Road, Dublin 12 (Proven)
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; He said the court suspended part of Brock's sentence on the condition that he cut his ties to the IRA and therefore the suspended part was a "real sentence". Brock was convicted for possessing firearms and ammunition in the Special Criminal Court in 2008 and was sentenced to six years in prison.
Places mentioned
- Special Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
- St James' Hospital
- Naas Road
- Naas
- Naas Road
Topics
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