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Louth man jailed for 10 years for car bomb possession
Summary
Gareth Mulley, 45, of Aisling Park, Dundalk, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment by the Special Criminal Court for possession of a large car bomb. The device, seized near the border last year, was intended for Northern Ireland and comprised a 50‑litre beer keg, 50 kg of ammonium nitrate, a steel booster tube, and a time‑and‑power unit with a 30‑minute delay. Gardaí arrested Mulley during a raid on Kilcurry Church grounds, where he transferred the bomb components from a van to a Volkswagen Passat. The prosecution argued the bomb was a vehicle‑borne improvised explosive device capable of 280 metre detonation range. Mulley pleaded not guilty to unlawful possession of explosives. The judge noted his lack of prior convictions and family commitments but deemed the offence too serious for any sentence suspension, imposing a 10‑year term back‑dated to 1 June 2014.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Louth man jailed for 10 years for car bomb possession. Charges or matters: the unlawful possession of an explosive substance – PETN and RDX, an adapted 50 litre beer keg, 50 kg of ammonium nitrate homemade explosives, an improvised steel booster tube and an improvised time and power unit at Kilcurry Church, Co Louth on May 25th, 2014. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- May 25th, 2014 Incident
- June 1, 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2015-07-31 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: the unlawful possession of an explosive substance – PETN and RDX, an adapted 50 litre beer keg, 50 kg of ammonium nitrate homemade explosives, an improvised steel booster tube and an improvised time and power unit at Kilcurry Church, Co Louth on May 25th, 2014 (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: Passing sentence, Mr Justice Butler said the bomb was a "very lethal device" that was not designed for any purposed other than to cause damage and could inevitably lead to loss of life.
Places mentioned
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