Images found in van during Garda operation in Donegal 09/12/2008 - 16:48:35
The trial of four men arrested during a Garda operation into suspected dissident activity in Donegal last March has heard that images of “men in balaclavas, camouflaged jackets and holding an AK47” were found during a search of a Transit van.
The four Derry city men standing trial at the Special Criminal Court are Gary Donnelly (aged 38), Kildrum Gardens, Michael Gallagher (aged 28), Sackville Court, Martin Francis O’Neill (aged 40), Colmcille Court and Patrick John McDaid (aged 38), Marlborough St.
They have pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oghlaigh na hÉireann, otherwise the IRA, on March 16.
Detective Garda William Sisk of the Special Detective Unit, Harcourt Square, told Patrick Marrinan SC, prosecuting, that he was briefed on suspected dissident activity in Co Donegal on March 15 this year.
He said that he was “made aware of members of the IRA putting on a media display of firearms and explosives in the Donegal area.”
Det. Garda Sisk said that he observed a white transit van at 11pm that night in the Bridgend area and that he carried out a “cursory search” of the van and found a stills camera, a video camera and a memory-card containing images.
He turned on the camera and saw a number of images including “men in balaclavas, camouflaged jackets and holding an AK47”.
Det. Garda Kevin Moriarty told the court that he saw two of the accused, Mr Donnelly and Mr O’Neill, enter MacIntyre’s pub in Bridgend at approximately 9pm on March 15.
Det. Garda Moriarty saw a white transit van drive into the pub’s carpark 10 minutes later and a man leave the carpark and go into the pub.
“Shortly after, I saw Gary Donnelly, Martin Francis O’Neill leave the bar, accompanied by a gang of other men, six or seven males, milling around the front of the bar.”
Det. Garda Moriarty said that one of the men walked to another car and “took a number of bags from the boot, then walked back to the group of men outside the pub and to the carpark where the white transit van had earlier driven in”.
Det. Garda Moriarty said that at 11.20pm he became aware that a white transit van had been stopped by gardaí just outside Bridgend.
“I went to the scene and Det. Garda Sisk pointed out a number of items he had found in the van and asked me to take control of them.”
