Terror charges admitted

Three Londonderry men yesterday pleaded guilty to having an armour piercing bomb and articles for use in acts of terrorism.
By The Newsroom
Published 9th Apr 2014, 16:05 BST
Damien 'Dee' Harkin.Damien 'Dee' Harkin.
Damien 'Dee' Harkin.

Jason Lee Anna Ceulemans (42), Damien Harkin (48), and 49-year-old Neil Christoper Hegarty, pleaded guilty at Belfast Crown Court to possessing “an explosively formed projectile (EFP) type improvised device” with intent to endanger life.

Ceulemans, from the Lecky Road, Harkin from Westland Avenue and Hegarty, from Sackville Court, also admitted having two walkie talkies and a torch for a terrorist purpose on the same date, December 6, 2012. Previous hearings were told the usually rocket fired EFP, a special type of shaped charge designed to penetrate armour effectively at distances, was uncovered in a car stopped by the police in Creggan. The court heard that the men did not intend using the device themselves, but there was sufficient evidence to support the conviction their possession was on a “second limb” basis.

The trio, whose guilty pleas followed applications by their defence lawyers, Mark Mulholland QC, Barry Macdonald QC, and Martin O’Rourke QC, will be sentenced next month.