Belfast man remanded after attempted pipe bomb attack on GAA club

Belfast man remanded after attempted pipe bomb attack on GAA club | Belfast Live

As Wilson was led away in handcuffs by prison staff, he gave a thumbs up to a man and woman in the public gallery and wished them a "Merry Christmas.''

An East Belfast man was remanded in custody today to be sentenced next week for leaving crude pipe devices at a GAA ground.

John Wilson (59), of Lower Braniel Road, was found guilty by unanimous verdict in September of this year by a jury at Belfast Crown Court of possessing explosives in suspicious circumstances.

The 11-member jury panel also unanimously found him guilty of three counts of attempting to intimidate members of the East Belfast GAA Club "unlawfully by force, threats, or menaces'' from attending or playing sports at Henry Jones Playing Fields in east Belfast. During the opening of the case, a senior KC prosecutor told the jury that all the charges related to August 5, 2020, when two pipe bomb devices were left on the cars of players from East Belfast GAA Club attending a training session at the playing fields on Church Road. It wasn't until the following day that the devices were found on the windscreens of two cars owned by male players.

They were recovered and found to be similar in nature and were sent to forensics for examination. A female also found a black-handled screwdriver in the passenger side wiper well of her car.

Said the senior prosecutor: "They were the component parts to a bomb. These were crude devices and they would not have been effective if they detonated. The offences in this case were nakedly sectarian which raises passions in Northern Ireland.''

He told the jury that a "threatening in nature'' 999 phone call was made at 8 pm from a payphone outside a pharmacy on the Ballygowan Road near the junction with the Knock Road.

The caller stated that four pipe bombs had been left at the Henry Jones Playing Fields.

A forensic scientist who examined the devices said they "represented the separated components of pipe bomb type improvised explosive devices each comprising a length of steel pipe sealed with a hexagonal nut and bolt, a length of green fuse and an explosive firework composition''.

The prosecutor said the club had only been set up 11 weeks earlier during the Covid-19 pandemic and there had been "some backlash'' from the creation of the club after the first training session in June 2020.

The jury heard that in July 2020 there had been spraying on the pavilion at the playing fields with the words scrawled 'GAA Scum' and 'GAA not welcome'.

He said CCTV footage from the pharmacy on the Ballygowan Road was seized by police and showed a silver Peugeot Partner van arriving in the rear of the pharmacy "and that van is connected to the accused''.

The driver got out of the van and walked towards the phone box in front of the pharmacy at around 8 pm and remained for around 50 seconds.

"The phone box is out of shot of the CCTV but you will see there is a shadow and reflection on the footage and we say you can see clearly that the person who walks into the phone box is the male who returns to the vehicle a few moments later.''

Wilson was arrested at his home by police. A number of items were recovered including silver duct tape and a mobile phone. Examination of his phone revealed messages about the incident as well as an apparent grievance with the East Belfast GAA using the playing fields.

In one exchange on Facebook messenger on July 17, 2020, Wilson stated: "Ok mate, what's happening with this GAA, surely something needs to be done?''

A further message stated: "I have a plan LOL.''

On July 23, he was asked had he taken up 'funny football', Wilson replied: "Not happy mate. Watch this space LOL.''

The man corresponding with Wilson stated 'Fenian Lives Matter', to which Wilson replied: "Scum mate.''

Another message said: "I was up a few times and got dirty looks for wearing a Northern Ireland top. They just park anywhere. No one can get past.''

On August 10 he wrote: "Ok mate, have had a running battle the past three or four weeks with the GAA up at Henry Jones. They have just took over. Good people can't even kick a ball with their kids.''

The prosecutor told the jury: "We say the messages show a clear animus state of mind by Mr Wilson which is aimed at the East Belfast GAA club and the use of the playing fields.''

They heard that on the evening of the incident around 7.30 pm CCTV at the playing fields showed a small silver van "consistent with Mr Wilson's van'' driving slowly past the entrance.''

Six minutes later a figure walking a large dog goes past cars in the car park. Wilson was interviewed but made no comment to police questions.

Under cross-examination from the senior prosecutor, Wilson was asked about the statement he gave to police.

Accepting he initially denied calling the PSNI from the phone box, Wilson said his statement was "a lie, full stop."

Asked about his views on the GAA playing in east Belfast, he replied: "I have no problem with the GAA, in fact one of the guys I work with plays for East Belfast GAA and we are the best of friends."

The prosecutor asked Wilson about messages he sent and received in the weeks before the incident.

"Who are you referring to as 'scum'?'' He replied: "Terrible, embarrassing, wrong."

Pressed further, Wilson said "it must mean the fenians" then said "it's embarrassing, it's not nice" but added "I didn't call anybody in the GAA scum."

"That's how you think of them, scum, isn't Mr Wilson?'' The defendant replied: "Some of my best friends are Catholics."

In court today, the senior prosecutor told Judge Gordon Kerr KC that the lead offence was the explosive charge and the intimidation offences carried a maximum sentence of five years.

He added: "These were viable devices but were not particularly effective devices. They were not designed to cause damage but were designed to cause terror and fear.''

Defence counsel Rosemary Walsh KC described Wilson as a "hard working family man'' and said the devices were "unsophisticated in nature and if ignited they were unlikely to have caused significant damage''.

Ms Walsh said Wilson accepted that the devices left on the cars "were to cause fear among those individuals and the wider membership of the club in question''.

She added: "These offences are totally out of character for him. He does have previous convictions and I have to accept that he is not a man of good character before this court.''

Addressing Wilson in the dock, Judge Kerr told him: "I don't intend to tell you what the sentence will be today but I can tell you that I am perfectly satisfied that it will be a custodial sentence.

"You will go into custody as of today and I intend to pass sentence next Wednesday morning.''

As Wilson was led away in handcuffs by prison staff, he gave a thumbs up to a man and woman in the public gallery and wished them a "Merry Christmas.''