A 42-year-old man, Patrick McCann, has been sentenced at Laganside Crown Court after an investigation by the Police Service’s Terrorism Investigation Unit (TIU). McCann faced four counts of possession of explosives in suspicious circumstances and entered an earlier guilty plea to the charges.
Detective Superintendent Griffin from the Terrorism Investigation Unit provided details, stating, “On Sunday, 29th September 2019, detectives carried out a planned search of a property in the west Belfast area. Several items were seized during the search, including parts used to modify explosives, specifically pipe bombs.”
McCann, linked to the seized items through forensic examination, was arrested and charged to court in May 2020. He received a three-year custodial sentence, with two years to be served in custody and the remaining one year on licence. Additionally, McCann will be subject to terrorist notification requirements for 10 years upon release.
Detective Superintendent Griffin expressed gratitude that the components and other items have been removed from the streets, emphasising the TIU’s commitment to addressing serious crime in the community. He urged anyone with information to contact the police on the non-emergency number 101.
