A 30-year-old Limerick man has been sentenced to three years in jail for possession of two pipe bombs discovered by gardaí in Co Letirim prior to the visit of Prince Charles in May 2015.
John Burke of St Mary's, Singland Cross, in Limerick pleaded guilty to the offence which occurred on 13 May 2015 when a car he was travelling in was stopped by gardaí in Glenfarne.
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Detective Garda Derek Bonner told Carrick-on-Shannon Circuit Court that on that day gardaí operating a number of mobile patrols were made aware of a maroon-coloured Volkswagen Passat which had driven away from a petrol station in Sligo without paying.
The Kilkenny-registered Passat was observed and followed by three gardaí who pulled it in at Glenfarne.
There were two men in the car, including Mr Burke who was in the front passenger seat.
When gardaí searched the car they found a beige Dunnes Stores bag under the seat Mr Burke had been sitting on and inside it they found a semi-automatic pistol, four rounds of ammunition and two pipe bombs.
Det Bonner said that Mr Burke and his friend had come up from Limerick earlier that day and CCTV footage showed him leaving a hostel there with a Dunnes Stores bag apparently containing clothes.
Gardaí believe this was the same bag found under the seat. Mr Burke's fingerprints were found on the bag but neither his finger prints nor his DNA were found on the gun, the ammunition or the pipe bombs.
Det Bonner said CCTV footage showed the car leaving an estate in Moyross in Limerick and it travelled through Tuam to Sligo.
When it was stopped in Leitrim it had different number plates on it which were secured by hair bobbins.
Questioned about the capability of the bombs by Judge Terry O'Sullivan, Det Bonner said that there was a large amount of explosives in each of them and they were ready for use and were capable of doing serious damage.
In court earlier this week, barrister for the defence, Keith O'Grady told the judge that his client was accused of possessing the pipe bombs prior to the visit of Prince Charles to this area.
No evidence was given today in relation to what the pipe bombs were intended for but Senior Counsel for Mr Burke, Kerida Naidoo said his client was the lesser of those involved and the offence was on the mid-range of the scale.
He said there was no forensic evidence connecting Mr Burke to the items in the bag and he was a man who lived a somewhat isolated life, had no family connections and was perhaps vulnerable.
The court was told that Mr Burke has 12 previous convictions including robbery and criminal damage.
Judge O'Sullivan said the offence he had pleaded guilty to was a very serious one and the fact that it could have caused serious damage cannot be taken lightly.
He sentenced him to three and a half years in jail with six months suspended and granted a destruction order for the two pipe bombs.
