Two men charged with possessing explosive substances in Dundalk last month, were further remanded in custody by the Special Criminal Court yesterday to appear before it again at the end of July.
Conan Murphy (23), with an address at Plaster, Mount Pleasant in Dundalk, Co Louth, and Philip McKevitt (56) of Aghaboys, also in Mount Pleasant, are charged with unlawfully possessing explosive materials on May 22nd last.
On that date, an improvised trailer and two gas cylinders “adapted” to cause an explosion were discovered during a Garda raid on an address in Mount Pleasant.
During the brief court hearing during which lawyers for both men applied to the three judge-non jury court to have “reasonable costs” back-dated for private forensic experts to travel from the United Kingdom to be involved in the case.
The Special Criminal Court, sitting at the Criminal Courts of Justice at Dublin’s Parkgate Street, allowed the application “on principle”.
Mr Philip Rahn BL, for Mr McKevitt, and Mr Kerida Nadoo BL, for Mr Murphy, also applied for legal aid for their clients. Lawyers for the State said there was no objection.
The court of Mr Justice Paul Butler presiding, with Ms Justice Alison Lindsay and Judge Cormac Dunne, heard there was no application for bail from either of the men “at this stage”.
Both Mr McKevitt and Mr Murphy were remanded in custody to appear before the court again on July 29th.