Eight year sentence for bomb, gun, andbook convict welcome

Barry Concannon pictured at an earlier court appearance.

In June last year police carried out a number of searches at a property in Beechwood Avenue in the city rented by Kevin Barry Concannon.

Officers uncovered a number of items including: a de-activated sub machine gun fitted with a real magazine; high explosive (PETN); blank rounds of ammunition; smoke grenades and a thunderflash; and a set of number plates.

Police also seized a laptop which contained images of a suspected terrorist show of strength, images of Merseyside Police HQ and a copy of ‘The Anarchist Cookbook.’

Last June, Concannon pleaded guilty to having the items and to collecting information likely to be of use to terrorism.

Detective Superintendent Kevin Geddes, from Serious Crime Branch, said: “Our investigation has negated the potential for harm which was posed by a number of these items.

“Police will continue to work to bring before the courts any individual who involves themselves in terrorist activity. The streets of Derry and elsewhere are undoubtedly safer today as a result of our investigation.”

Unusually, a search of Concannon’s home was filmed by a television production company and the film included in an episode of ‘Ross Kemp: Extreme World,’ which was subsequently broadcast on Sky television.