Philip McKevitt pleads not guilty to explosives possession

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Philip McKevitt has pleaded not guilty at the Special Criminal Court to possession of an improvised trailer and two gas cylinders adapted to cause an explosion. The charge concerns alleged possession at his home in Aghaboys, Mount Pleasant, Dundalk, Co Louth, on 22 May 2010. The proceedings were reported on 13 January 2012.

His co-accused, Conan Murphy, has also pleaded not guilty to possession of explosive substances. His charge concerns alleged possession at the same address on 22 May 2010.

Det Garda Shane Curran, a Garda ballistics expert, said the trailer, modified gas cylinders, reel and modified electrical wire should be considered explosive substances. He believed that 52 bags of glucose found in Mr McKevitt’s car were intended for use with an ammonium nitrate mix to form a high explosive.

Under questioning by Diarmaid McGuinness SC, for Mr McKevitt, Det Garda Curran agreed that no explosives were found at Aghaboys and that the trailer and modified cylinders could not themselves cause an explosion. However, he maintained that the items he examined had been adapted to aid or cause an explosion and should constitute explosive substances under the law. The trial was continuing before Mr Justice Paul Butler.