An accused Real IRA terrorist boasted ‘our time wi
An accused Real IRA terrorist boasted ‘our time will come’ on the day a car bomb was planted in Birmingham city centre, the Old Bailey heard today.
(Thurs)
Robert Hulme, 23, lost his temper with pal Richard Aggett who called him a ‘dirty IRA bastard’, jurors heard.
The alleged terrorist, who was nicknamed ‘Czech’ reacted by shouting the republican warcry, ‘Our time will come’ in Gaelic.
The squabble happened the day a car bomb was planted in Smallbrook Queensway, in Birmingham in November 2001.
It could have caused many deaths but fortunately the bomb, which was hidden the back of a gold-coloured Audi, failed to detonate, the court heard.
Orlando Pownall QC, prosecuting, told jurors: ‘Had it functioned properly it would have caused serious injury and possibly death to anybody nearby and serious damage to property.
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The court heard that coded-warnings were made to nearby nightclub McCluskys, a taxi firm and the AA call centre in Halesowen.
In each case a man with an Irish accent warned the caller of the device’s location and said it would go off ‘within the hour’.
The call to the nightclub was dismissed as a hoax, Mr Pownall told the court.
The mobile phone used to make the warnings is linked to defendants Hulme, his brother Aiden, 26, and Noel Maguire, 34.
It was also linked to James McCormack, 34, and John Hannan, 19, who have both admitted conspiracy to cause explosions and will be sentenced at the end of the trial.
The jury heard details of how the bomb was made using 47kilos of ammonium, nitrate and sugar packed into a red bucket with a homemade timer to detonate the device.
Mr Pownall told the court the Audi was bought for pnds stlg 500 from Junction 10 Car Sales, in Walsall by two men on November 3, 2001.
The QC explained that Robert Hulme spent the day at Hilltop Farm, in West Ardsley, near Leeds and could not have been involved in planting the bomb.
It was at this site that all defendants and Mr Aggett ran an illegal ‘diesel washing’ operation, the court heard.
That evening Hulme warned Mr Aggett not to go back to the farmhouse, said Mr Pownall.
‘Richard Aggett accused him of being a dirty IRA bastard.
Hulme said, ‘tiochfaidh ar la’, which is Gaelic for ‘Our time will come’.
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The argument continued until Mr Aggett held a knife to the accused terrorist’s throat, jurors heard.
The court has heard it was ‘nothing short of a miracle’ that no-one was killed when the gang of five planted two other car bombs in London.
One device left in a maroon Taxi went off outside the BBC TV centre in Wood Lane, Shepherd’s Bush, west London in March 2001.
A second exploded in Ealing Broadway five months later.
The court heard how 73-year-old Irene Hare helped lead police to the accused terrorists.
She called police when she saw photofits of the suspects of television and told detectives three men had moved into a house in Cornwallis Avenue, Edmonton.
‘Mrs Hare thought one of them might resemble the e-fit,’ Mr Pownall said.
‘That information proved invaluable because it provided the first real clue that police had and led to inquiries being made of that address and the arrest of Maguire.
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Police went to the house pretending they were investigating a racial incident.
On November 15 they returned to arrest Maguire and others at the house.
Maguire’s fingerprints were later found on the plastic bag containing the grenade recovered from Hilltop Farm.
Robert Hulme together with Maguire deny conspiracy to cause explosions likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property, two charges of possessing an explosive substance with intent to cause an explosion of a nature likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property, and possessing a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life, namely a Smith and Wesson .
38 revolver and three rounds of ammunition.
Aiden Hulme denies conspiracy to cause explosions.
McCormack and Hannan have admitted conspiracy to cause explosions.
The trial continues.
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