Stephen Hamill and Desmond Smith get suspended sentences for IRA aid

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

Stephen Hamill and Desmond Smith received suspended sentences at the Special Criminal Court on 14 October 2024 after pleading guilty to assisting the Continuity IRA. The purported attack was on Enniskillen police station.

Hamill received a four-year sentence, suspended for four years, with a €100 bond condition. Smith received a two-year-and-nine-month sentence, suspended for three years.

The court heard that a call to a media outlet prompted a search near the station, where an improvised device was found. The judge said the men’s early pleas, undertakings and other mitigating factors supported suspended sentences, while describing assistance to the organisation as a serious matter.