A man who attacked Crossmaglen PSNI station with a petrol bomb but only managed to set fire to his shoes was given a suspended sentence today.
Belfast Crown Court, sitting in Antrim, heard that Turlough Robert McAllister (29) was interviewed in November 2002 about the attack ten days previously and that he denied any involvement but officers noticed he was wearing the same scorched shoes.
The court heard that early in the morning of Saturday November 2nd, a very drunk McAllister drove his car to the gates of the station, parked and then threw a petrol bomb at it. He caused an estimated £250 of damage to the gates and managed to set his shoes on fire while getting back into his car.
Using the CCTV footage, officers were able to identify the car parked outside McAllister's home at The Square in Crossmaglen and arrested him.
Prosecution lawyer Mr David Russell told the court: "It seems that he wore the same boots to interview that he had been wearing on the night in question and there was evidence of accelerant on the foot wear". However, he said there was "no question" of McAllister being connected to any "sinister organisation".
Defence lawyer Mr James Kearney described the "motiveless attack" as being "amateurish in the extreme". He told the court McAllister himself had described his botched attack as "an act of lunacy" carried out while very drunk.
He pleaded guilty to a charge of throwing a petrol bomb and to one charge of arson and was given a 12-month suspended sentence.