Sinn Féin bomb hoax pair sentenced at Belfast Crown Court

Two men who admitted making false bomb-hoax calls aimed at senior Sinn Fein members today (Thursday) avoided prison.

Finton Geraghty and Christopher Maxwell were each handed an enhanced combination order consisting of 100 hours of unpaid work and three years on probation.

Geraghty, 46, of Ivy Hill in Lisburn, Co Antrim, pleaded guilty to a charge that on July 1, 2019, he communicated false information to a priest with the intention of inducing a false belief that “a bomb or other thing liable to explode or ignite” was present at the homes of Sinn Fenn MP John Finucane and councillor Seanna Walsh.

Co-accused Maxwell, 47, from Blackstaff Mews in Belfast, pleaded guilty to a similar offence namely that on August 9, 2020 he communicated false information to a member of staff at the Sinn Fein office at Connolly House on the Falls Road that “a bomb or other thing liable to explode or ignite” was present at the premises.

Maxwell further pleaded guilty to placing an article causing a bomb hoax at Connolly House with the intention of inducing in some other person a belief that it was likely to explode or ignite on August 9, 2020. The pair also pleaded guilty to a charge that on July 11, 2019 they communicated false information to a PSNI operator that a device was present at the Avoniel Leisure Centre in Belfast.

Defence barrister Sean Devine said Geraghty’s son had a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and has difficulties with social interaction.

“This is a family under great stress. He also has another child who suffers from very severe asthma. There is a lot of vigilance required with both of these children and both parents are stretched to capacity looking after their children.”

He urged the court not to impose an immediate custodial sentence but to dispose of the case by way of a community based order that would allow Geraghty to continue to help care for his children. Mr Devine also raised the issue of delay saying it was over five years since the commission of the offences. In response to the issue of delay, prosecution barrister David McNeill said: “This was a complex investigation.

“There was voice analysis and other telephone work which was carried out in relation to other incidents which were wrapped up in the same investigation. Voice analysis is a highly contested topic and experts are hard to come by and that has to be done on top of telephone analysis.”

Passing sentence today (Thursday), Judge Gordon Kerr KC said that although he was dealing with serious offences which would normally attract custodial sentences, the prosecution had said that there was “no catastrophic disruption” particularly in the incident at Avoniel Leisure Centre.

“I am now sentencing for matters which took place five years ago and this case has been hanging over the defendants’ heads for a considerable period of time.

“Maxwell has an appalling record of over 230 previous criminal convictions but he has nothing on his record of a similar sinister or terrorist nature which may have been behind the offending in this case.”

The judge said that at the time of his offending Geraghty was in breach of a suspended sentence but has less convictions on his record than his co-accused.

Judge Kerr said he accepted defence submissions on Geraghty’s behalf that he had “significant family difficulties with his children” and he was active in caring for them. Imposing the enhanced combination order, Judge Kerr said both defendants were equally culpable for the offences.

ENDS

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