Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
HOTEL BOMB 2 JAILED
Would-be killers planned to blow up PSNI recruitment event
BEHIND BARS Darren Poleon TWO bombers who plotted to kill people wanting to join the PSNI were jailed yesterday.
Darren Poleon, 43, and 35-year-old Brian Walsh face five years behind bars for their roles in a foiled bid to target a recruitment event.
The Co Meath pair were caught after a fire extinguisher packed with explosives was discovered at Derry’s Waterfoot Hotel in 2015.
Det Chief Insp Gillian Kearney said: “Their intention was undoubtedly to murder and seriously injure.”
TWO “dangerous individuals ”who left a bomb in a hotel car park before a PSNI recruitment event were both sentenced to 10 years yesterday.
Darren Poleon and Brian Walsh will spend five years in jail and the remainder on licence after planting the device at the Waterfoot Hotel in Derry.
Sentencing the pair at Belfast Crown Court yesterday, Judge Geoffrey Miller said the “potentially lethal device” could have caused “severe physical injury or death to members of the PSNI and others attending the hotel”.
The remote-controlled bomb – a modified fire extinguisher packed with 1.5kg of explosives – was found in shrubbery behind a disabled parking sign 20 metres from the lobby.
Earlier this year the accused, from Co Meath, admitted possessing explosives with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property and possession of articles for use in terrorism.
Poleon, 43, of Lightown in Kells, and 35-year-old Walsh, from Drumree, Dunshaughlin, are believed to have planted the bomb on October 6, 2015 – three days before the police event.
They were arrested later that day when PSNI officers spotted their car driving erratically.
Det Chief Insp Gillian Kearney said: “Their intention was undoubtedly to murder and seriously injure people as well as to deter people from pursuing a career in policing.
“They had no regard for the safety of anyone staying in or visiting this popular hotel.
“I’m thankful we were able to thwart their efforts as I have no doubt if the device had exploded people would have been killed or at the very least seriously injured.”
Walsh had a reservation at the hotel for October 9 when police believed he may have planned to move the bomb inside the building.
The device was made from a fire extinguisher filled with 1.5kg of explosives and was found along with a detonating system.
DCI Kearney added: “Poleon and Walsh were initially arrested by police in the Drumragh Avenue area of Omagh on Tuesday October 6, 2015, after the Ford Focus car they were travelling in was seen being driven erratically.
“When police searched the car they found a number of items including bolt cutters, walkie-talkies, a toy gun, balaclavas, gloves and two mobile phones.
“A sat nav system was also recovered from the car for analysis.
“The men were arrested at this time on suspicion of going equipped for burglary and possession of a firearm or imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and were later bailed to return to Omagh police station in December.
“On Friday October 9, 2015, police attended various security alerts which included the Waterfoot Hotel, the Millfield Campus of the Belfast Metropolitan College and the Strule Arts Centre in Omagh, which were all venues for police recruitment events and recovered the device at the Waterfoot Hotel.
“During our inquiries we analysed the sat nav system recovered from the car Poleon and Walsh had been travelling in. This provided a link between the car and the three recruitment venues.
“The car was found to have travelled from Co Meath to the Waterfoot Hotel on October 6, when officers believe the device was left in the grounds of the hotel, before travelling onwards to the Strule Civic Centre in Omagh where they were arrested later that night.
“Further evidence was also gathered to suggest Poleon had made a reservation
BY SHAUNA CORR They had no regard for safety of anyone staying in or visiting this popular hotel DET CHIEF INSP GILLIAN KEARNEY YESTERDAY
to stay at the Waterfoot Hotel on Friday, October 9, when police believe an attempt would have been made to move the device inside the hotel building