Courts / Longford / Report

Longford man was in "dire financial circumstances" when he allowed IED construction at his home

Date
2016-07-13

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Longford

Summary

A 29-year-old man from Ballymahon, County Longford, has been sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment by the Special Criminal Court, with one year suspended, following his guilty plea to possession of component parts of an improvised explosive device at his home in June 2015. Paul Dodd accommodated the storage of IED materials, including shotgun cartridges, propellant, cardboard tubing and clingfilm, in exchange for a financial promise. The court heard Dodd was in dire financial circumstances at the time. His co-accused, Brendan Hope from County Westmeath, had previously received a three-year sentence for possession of a completed device discovered in a van during a search operation. The Special Criminal Court found Dodd's involvement less culpable than Hope's. A separate charge of IRA membership against Dodd was withdrawn by the State.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Longford man was in "dire financial circumstances" when he allowed IED construction at his home. Charges or matters: possession of the component parts of an improvised explosive device (IED), including assorted shotgun cartridges, shotgun propellant, length of cardboard tube and clingfilm at his home on June 24th last year; the possession of approximately 30 assorted shotgun cartridges at the same address, also on the same date; possession of an IED containing shotgun propellant powder, a 12-gauge shotgun cartridge, a 71mm length of cardboard tube, an igniferous fuse, clingfilm and a hair bobbin at Dodd's home, also on June 24th last year. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

June 24th Incident
2016-07-13 Publication

Case subjects

Brendan Hope

Convicted Person

Charges: possession of an IED containing shotgun propellant powder, a 12-gauge shotgun cartridge, a 71mm length of cardboard tube, an igniferous fuse, clingfilm and a hair bobbin at Dodd's home, also on June 24th last year (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Brendan Hope (49) of Springfield Cottages, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, was jailed last month by the same court for three years for possession of an IED.

Paul Dodd

Accused

Charges: possession of the component parts of an improvised explosive device (IED), including assorted shotgun cartridges, shotgun propellant, length of cardboard tube and clingfilm at his home on June 24th last year; the possession of approximately 30 assorted shotgun cartridges at the same address, also on the same date; possession of an IED containing shotgun propellant powder, a 12-gauge shotgun cartridge, a 71mm length of cardboard tube, an igniferous fuse, clingfilm and a hair bobbin at Dodd's home, also on June 24th last year (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: The court sentenced Dodd to two and a half years in prison, with one year suspended.