Twelfth Day bomb hoaxer given five month sentence

Michael Joseph James O'Kane (39) of Carnfinton Park appeared in the dock at North Antrim Magistrates Court in Coleraine on Friday to plead guilty to a charge of placing an article causing a bomb hoax during a Twelfth Day march in 2008.

The hoax caused wide-spread disruption for scores of people who had travelled from across north Antrim to attend the parade.

A prosecutor told the court a suspect device was found by police at Main Street on the morning of July 2008 at around 11am.

The area was immediately evacuated and cordoned off and an army technical officer called in to examine the device.

The prosecutor said police were told the device may not be real while it was being examined but had to treat it as viable.

The army technical officer declared the device - found to be a hoax - safe and the remains were taken away by crime scene investigators for further examination.

The prosecutor said the defendant had been seen in the vicinity of the device when it was discovered.

When spoken to by police officers he was found to be heavily intoxicated, the court was told.

He was taken to Coleraine Police Station for interview where he denied any knowledge of the device.

A swab was taken from him and sent off for forensic analysis.

It was found to match samples taken from a battery used in the device.

O'Kane was taken for further questioning by police but continued to deny any knowledge of the device.

He told officers that someone may have taken the battery from his home to use it in the device, therefore accounting for his DNA being on it.

A defence lawyer said his client was standing no more than six feet from the device when it was found adding O'Kane was "very drunk" at the time.

"It was a regrettable incident which was largely contributed to by excessive amounts of alcohol," the lawyer said.

O'Kane had been remanded in custody since August 3. His lawyer said he had benefited from this time inside as it had prevented him from consuming alcohol.

"He is certainly a different individual when drink is not involved," said the lawyer.

District Judge Richard Wilson, said: "Have you learnt anything from your time in prison?"

"I have your honour," replied O'Kane.

"It's a bit better being sober."

"You certainly don't cover yourself in glory when you have drink in you," said Mr Wilson.

The judge told O'Kane that had the matter been dealt with by a Crown Court he could have faced up to seven years in prison.

"If you persist in these activities it is certain you will end up in Crown Court and not here," warned Mr Wilson.

O'Kane was sentenced to five months in prison.

While O'Kane has already served longer than that on remand, he will remain in custody in relation to other outstanding charges against him.