A west Belfast pensioner has been jailed for four years for collecting information for dissident republican terrorists.
65-year-old Fionnghuale Mary Teresa Dympha Perry, of Waterville Street, was found guilty in March this year after a non-jury Diplock-style trial at Belfast Crown Court for collecting or making a record of information likely to be of use to terrorists.
This related to documents regarding a "security debrief" following the police recovery of firearms, ammunition and explosives in west Belfast.
It was the prosecution case that the documents were found in Perry's home which was searched by the PSNI on 20 February 2018.
Police officers searched a spare bedroom and seized a box of Chloe perfume and found "seven cigarette papers'' which contained written information about weapons and explosives.
The notes related to interviews carried out by individuals into the seizure of firearms, ammunition and explosives from the Ballymurphy home of Kevin Barry Nolan on 17 September 2015.
Nolan was later convicted for having explosives and weapons with intent and sentenced to seven years imprisonment.
The prosecution said the notes were a "security debrief'' into the seizure of items at Nolan's home to find out what went wrong and how police came to find them.
During the trial, Perry's defence was that she had a reasonable excuse to have the notes in her role as a journalist writing on political and security issues.
She claimed that she didn't know what the notes meant and "could not make sense of them''.
But this was rejected by trial judge Mr Justice O'Hara who stated in his March judgement: "I am satisfied beyond any doubt that the defendant is guilty of collecting or making a record likely to be useful to a terrorist.
"I reject entirely her defence that she had a reasonable excuse for her action for possessing the information.''
Passing sentence today, Mr Justice O'Hara said: "The crime committed by this defendant on any view is a serious one.
"There are dissident republicans who, after all these years of violence and so many deaths ruined, are still committed to more deaths and more lives ruined.
"For every individual who transports or fires a gun, or makes or plants a bomb, there have to be more people who support and enable them. The defendant is one of those people.
"In terms of recording or collecting information, it is possible to think of worst cases, for instance, collecting information about the addresses and movements of police officers or other people on the grim list of so-called legitimate targets.''
Mr Justice O'Hara said the information Perry had collected was "sinister' and "of great concern''.
"Every time police find weapons and explosives, they land a blow on those who are committed to violence.
"The dissidents then respond by trying to work out what went wrong, whose fault it may have been and what steps are needed to be taken next time.
"This defendant played a role in that response in order that violence can continue.''
The judge said that to "make matters worse'', Perry had a conviction dating back to 1976 for hijacking a car and having a firearm with intent.
She was also convicted of membership of a proscribed organisation and was sentenced to three years in prison.
"Even in her teens this conviction shows she was committed to violent republicanism. The most recent offending comes depressingly more than 40 years later and in the same vein.''
During a recent hearing, Perry's defence counsel Desmond Hutton KC urged the judge not to send her to prison but to impose a suspended sentence because she has multiple sclerosis and has mental health issues.
Mr Justice O'Hara said, "With all due respect, that is entirely unrealistic. It fails to acknowledge the seriousness of her offending, her criminal record from 1976 and she fought the charge and has lost any prospect of credit for pleading guilty.
"She and other dissident republicans have to realise that as they continue with their efforts to murder and maim, they will face harsh consequences if and when they are caught, convicted and sentenced.''
Mr Justice O'Hara imposed the four year sentence under the Counter Terrorism Act 2021 which was brought in following a series of terrorist attacks in London.
It ended the early release of prisoners halfway through their sentence.
He said that under the legislation, Perry will have to serve two thirds of her sentence before she could apply to the Parole Commissioners to be released.
