A Dublin man who was arrested after French police uncovered guns and ammunition during an investigation into "Real IRA" terrorism has been refused bail by the Special Criminal Court.
The court heard that Mr Gary Roche was arrested by Special Branch detectives after French police found three automatic pistols and 130 rounds of ammunition hidden in the ground near Dieppe last month.
Mr Roche (28), Knock- maree Apartments, Chapelizod, Dublin, was charged with membership of the IRA on November 4th.
Det Supt Diarmuid O'Sullivan of the Special Detective Unit said detectives searched Roche's apartment and found items including soldering wire, a circuit board, a map of France, Belgium and Luxembourg and sheets of paper with information on how to make TNT, black powder, mercury fulminate, nitroglycerine and other explosive substances.
Mr Roche said he would be pleading not guilty and he would stand trial if given bail. He was prepared to give an undertaking not to associate with members of unlawful organisations.
Mr Justice Finnegan said that if there was a change of circumstance the court would be prepared to look at the bail issue again. Roche was remanded in custody until February 17th.
Sexual assault charges admitted
A Kilkenny man has pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to 64 charges of indecent and sexual assault relating to five female victims. Mr Justice Carney remanded him on continuing bail for sentence on a date to be set later when evidence of his crimes will also be given.
Woman admits killing husband
A woman accused of murdering her husband - an Army corporal - changed her plea yesterday and admitted to manslaughter at the Central Criminal Court.
Norma Cotter (35) had pleaded not guilty on Monday to the murder of her husband Gary (40) at their house in Broomfield West, Midleton, Co Cork, on January 3rd, 1995.
Cpl Cotter died after he was blasted with a shotgun from close range in the main bedroom of the house he shared with his wife.
Cotter's guilty plea to the lesser charge was accepted by the Director of Public Prosecutions and the jury was discharged by Mr Justice Peart.
She will be sentenced on Friday.
Murder trial jury at hotel overnight
A jury was sent to a hotel overnight after it was unable to reach a verdict in the trial of two Limerick men charged with murder.
After nearly four hours, the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict in the trial of Mr Patrick Desmond (28) and his nephew, Mr Stuart Moloney (18). Both men, who have addresses in Limerick city, deny the murder of father-of-two Patrick Crawford (41) at Ballygrennan Close, Moyross, on June 2nd, 2002. They also deny assaulting Mr Crawford causing him serious harm on the same date.
Following a seven-day trial at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Limerick, the jury retired yesterday afternoon to consider its verdict. However, when it had failed to reach a decision by 7.30 p.m. last night, Mr Justice White directed that the jurors should be sent to a hotel overnight.
They are due to resume their deliberations this morning.