Pipe bomb sentences welcomed

Police stopped a blue Citroen car on the Buncrana Road on 26 September 2011 as it travelled towards the city.

During a search of the vehicle a viable pipe bomb type device was recovered from under the front passenger seat. Police believe this was to be used in a dissident republican attack.

Three men were in the car: Eugene McLoone (56), the driver, of Abercorn Road, Daniel Doyle (48) of Bluebell Hill Gardens, the front seat passenger, and Eamonn Cassidy (51) of Glenfada Park, a rear seat passenger. Doyle and McLoone pleaded guilty to possession of explosives with intent while Cassidy pleaded guilty to two charges of possession of explosives. Cassidy was sentenced to eight years, Doyle to seven and a half years and McLoone to seven years. Half of the sentence will be in jail, the other half on licence.

A spokesman for Serious Crime Branch said: “If this device had exploded, someone could have been killed or seriously injured.” We should all be thankful that those in possession of the device were not able to deploy it.”