Woman (25) remanded with consent to bail charged with possession of explosives
Special sitting of Trim District Court
A 25-year-old woman, charged with possession of a bomb, has been remanded in custody with consent to bail this evening.
The woman, with a Co Kildare address, appeared before a special sitting of Trim District Court this evening after a device was discovered in transit in a vehicle in Carrickmacross on Wednesday.
Isabella Perrie Sullivan, Abbey Park Court, Clane, was charged with possession of an explosive substance, 394 grammes of Semtex, a military/commercial detonator and an improvised timer/power unit at Aclint, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan.
It's alleged the defendant, a law student, was the driver of the vehicle transporting the device.
A detective gave evidence of having charged the accused with the alleged offence at Dundalk Garda Station. There were objections to bail and a bail hearing was held before presiding Judge Raymond Finnegan.
An application for bail was made by defending solicitor Gavin Booth who said that his client was a law student who had a life-limiting medical condition. He described her as someone who was a perfect candidate for bail.
Ms Sullivan, he said, who was not seeking free legal aid, had bail of €10,000 available from her father.
Judge Finnegan said he wanted an alternative bail person. He fixed bail at €15,000 and said that person would have to be approved by the Gardaí and the Court. He also applied strict conditions.
These include that she is not to engage with anyone from New IRA, or anyone convicted by the Special Criminal Court, or Foradh Party; and provide a mobile phone number to gardaí.
The judge remanded the accused in custody with consent to bail to Monaghan District Court, to appear via video link, on Monday, July 27.
Earlier today, gardaí said that an “extremely significant” bomb had been intercepted in a vehicle in transit near the Border as part of an an operation targeting dissident republicans.
Members of the Garda’s Special Detective Unit stopped the vehicle travelling on the N2 south of Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, on Wednesday afternoon.
Gardaí then requested the assistance of the army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team, which completed an examination of the vehicle.
The driver was arrested at the scene and remained in garda custody until the woman was brought before the court and charged this evening.
Another suspect, a man aged in his 40s, was also arrested.