Dissident republican jailed for group membership
A senior dissident republican was today jailed for five years by the Special Criminal Court in Dublin after he was convicted of membership of an illegal organisation.
Declan Carroll, 25, of Edenmore Crescent, Raheny, Dublin, had pleaded not guilty to being a member of an illegal organisation styling itself Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the Irish Republican Army, otherwise the IRA, on November 29, 2000.
During his trial the court heard that Special Branch detectives discovered documents in Carroll’s bedroom after his arrest.
The court also heard the opinion of Det Chief Supt Basil Walsh of the Special Detective Unit that he believed Carroll was a member of an illegal organisation.
Carroll denied that he was a member of an illegal organisation and said he was involved in Na Fianna Eireann, a legal republican youth organisation.
But Mr Justice Richard Johnson, presiding at the non-jury court, said the court was satisfied ‘‘beyond reasonable doubt’’ that documents found in Carroll’s bedroom would be used by ‘‘persons engaged in subversive activities’’.
The judge said that one document, headed ‘‘Forensic’’, contained information on home-made explosives and improvised mix.
The judge said the court ‘‘takes a very serious view of this case’’ and of the evidence of Det Supt Peter Maguire that in 1998 this organisation, said in court to be commonly known as the ‘‘Real IRA’’, was responsible for 28 crimes including explosives, firearms and armed robberies to raise funds for that organisation.
It had also set up training camps throughout the country for volunteers, one of which was at Stamullen in Co Meath in 1999.
Referring to a second document headed ‘‘Memo - use of mobile phone’’, the judge said the court was satisfied that this would be used solely by people who wanted to avoid police detection.
The fact that it mentioned specifically Dublin, London and Belfast was matter of significance, the judge added.
Referring to the third document, headed ‘‘Interrogation’’, the judge said the court’s conclusion was that it is ‘‘pertinent to and capable of use’’ by people questioned under the Offences Against the State Act.
Each of these documents ‘‘individually and collectively’’ supported the evidence of Det Chief Supt Basil Walsh that the accused was a member of the IRA, the judge said.
The court took into account that the accused ‘‘came from a decent and hard-working family’’ and was involved in community and sporting activities in his area.
Leave to appeal was refused.
