Royal Marine was plotting terrorist campaign

A rogue Royal Marine hoarded an arsenal of explosives and ammunition as he plotted a massive bombing campaign across Northern Ireland, a court heard.

IRA sympathiser Ciaran Maxwell, 31, planted four pipe bombs and stashed two caches of weapons and ammunition in remote areas.

The haul of weapons included chemicals and components for use in manufacturing explosives, including ball bearings for maximum damage and amour penetrating explosives.

He also had imitation firearms, British Army ammunition and tools.

Maxwell constructed 14 pipe bombs, two anti-personnel directional mines and had complied a hoard of other explosives and detonators.

Uniforms for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) were also found, along with an adapted PSNI pass card.

Maxwell also had a library of documents relating to the construction and manufacture of explosive devices and terrorist tactics.

One of the hides was found stashed in barrels in Carnfunnock and one in Capanagh near his hometown in Larne, County Antrim.

Maxwell, who joined the Marines in 2009, was previously based at 40 Commando in Taunton.

He appeared via video link from HMP Woodhill at the Old Bailey wearing a grey fleece, with short cropped dark hair to be sentenced after admitting preparing an act of terror.

Prosecutor Richard Whittam QC said Maxwell downloaded material relating the to IRA including: ‘The Story of the Men of the Red Branch of Ulster’ and ‘The IRA, the Bombs and the Bullets’.

Mr Whittam described how advanced Maxwell’s preparations were.

‘Of the 14 pipe bombs constructed by Mr Maxwell, four have been deployed in Northern Ireland,’ he said.

Maxwell had the material to build 19 more pipe bombs and many more Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and 397 rounds of ammunition.

‘Mr Maxwell had assembled large quantities of chemicals for use in manufacturing explosives and IED’s both in England and Northern Ireland,’ said Mr Whittam.

Mr Whittam said the ongoing security situation in Northern Ireland ‘continues to challenge the long term peace and stability of the country’.

He said a small fraction of dissident republican groups ‘remain engaged in a campaign of violence’.

‘Their actions have minimal support, but cause death and destruction, fear and division, and are in contradistinction to the will of the people of Northern Ireland,’ he said.

‘Whilst attacks are mainly directed at the police, military and prison services, the nature of the attacks leaves members of the public at risk.

‘All of the groups remain persistent in their intention to kill and seriously injure.’

Mr Whittam said the some of the bombs had the potential of ‘penetrating armoured steel’.

‘On initiation, molten steel slugs are produced and ejected at several thousand meters per second which are capable of penetrating armoured steel,’ he said.

Maxwell was never posted in Northern Ireland but had used his status as a serving British soldier to move explosive materials and ammunition to Ireland from the UK, said Mr Whittam.

‘It is our submission that some of the items must have been taken from the United Kingdom to Northern Ireland by the defendant,’ he said.

‘It may be that when travelling between the United Kingdom and Ireland, bearing in mind his identification documents, his passage may have been easier than others.’

Mr Whittam said a partial DNA profile matching Maxwell was taken from fingerprints on tools in the hides but said Maxwell had ‘a level of forensic awareness’.

Maxwell earlier admitted charges relating to the two weapons hides, the library of documents on explosives and the maps with lists of potential targets in preparation for a terrorist attack.

He also admitted possessing cannabis with intent to supply and possession of articles in connection with fraud relating to some fraudulent bankcards.

The victims of the fraud are believed to be his fellow marines.

The marine was arrested on 24 August this year by officers from The Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.

Police officers found cannabis and tabs of LSD in his locker, said Mr Whittam.

In March and May last year, weapons caches were discovered in Larne, County Antrim, which included pipe bombs, ammunition for an assault rifle and Claymore anti-personnel mines.

Munitions hides found by members of the public in Carnfunnock and Capanagh contained home made bombs, timed power units, ammunition and a number of military items including a detonation cord, rifle magazines and mini flares.

Ammonium nitrate, sodium bicarbonate and erythritol, the ingredients needed for the manufacture of secondary high explosive erythritol tetranitrate, were also found.

The barrel found in Capanagh Forest on 14 May last year also contained a fake handgun, ammunition and magazines with rounds and pipe bombs.

Several bags of cannabis were also seized at the Powderham New Plantation site in Devon, close to Maxwell’s base.

Plant pots, camouflaged tents and hydroponic lamps were also recovered from the hides.

Maxwell, of (4) Old Quarry Drive, Exminster, Devon, admitted researching bombs, manufacturing explosive substances, constructing explosive devices.

He also admitted growing the cannabis as well as obtaining bank and identification details in perpetration for an online fraud.

The three-day sentencing hearing continues.
mfl
ENDS

MEMO

(06/12/1985)

1 Between 1 January 2011 and 24 August 2016, with the intention of assisting another to commit acts of terrorism, engaged in conduct in preparation for giving effect to this intention, namely:

– Research resulting in the creation of a library of documents providing information of a kind likely to be useful likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism specifically information regarding the manufacture of explosive substances, the construction of explosive devices and tactics used by terrorist organisations.

– Purchasing or otherwise obtaining articles for a purpose connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism. Specifically chemicals and components to be use in the manufacture of explosive substances, the construction of explosive devices; an image of an adapted PSNI pass card; items of PSNI uniform.

– Manufacturing explosive substances.

– Constructing explosive devices.

– Creating and maintaining hides in England and Northern Ireland to store explosive substances, explosive devices, components for explosive devices, ammunition, weapons, tools and resources used during the construction of explosive devices and assorted other items linked to the preparation of an act of terrorism. [Contrary to section 5 Terrorism Act 2006]

2 On 24 August 2016 had in his possession a quantity of a controlled drug, namely Cannabis, with intent to supply it to another. [Contrary to section 5(3) and (4) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971]

3 Between 1 November 2015 and 24 August 2016 had in his possession articles, namely images of bank cards and associated CVC numbers, for use in connection with fraud. [Contrary to section 6 Fraud Act 2006]
ENDS MEMO