Senior Real IRA man gets 20-year jail term

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2 October 2010
Irish Times


THE SO-CALLED second in command of the Real IRA was yesterday jailed for 20 years for attempting to smuggle 104,000 of guns and explosives into Northern Ireland.

Paul Anthony John McCaugherty (44) from Beechcourt in Lurgan, Co Armagh, had sought the equipment for the Real IRA from an arms dealer who was a security services agent.

Jailed with him yesterday for four years was Dermot Declan Gregory (42) of Concession Road, Crossmaglen, who was found guilty of making a Portuguese property available for the purpose of terrorism. (The Panda Restaurant in Alvor, Portugal)

The pair were caught as part of a Secret Service sting operation, carried out by “role-playing” MI5 agents against dissident republicans to thwart their gun-smuggling plans. They were convicted after a non-jury Diplock trial at Belfast Crown Court in June heard from the MI5 agents, described as “Covert Human Intelligence Sources”, who outlined the sting operation which ran from August 2004 to June 2006.

McCaugherty, who once boasted it was his IRA branch who made up the Omagh bomb, showed no emotion as Mr Justice Hart said any attempt to purchase and import a large amount of weapons “must be regarded as exceptionally serious because of the potential for murder and destruction on a large scale”.

In all, the taxi-driving married father of two was convicted of seven charges including IRA membership, conspiracy to possess guns and explosives and using and arranging money for the purposes of terrorism.

McCaugherty’s inventory of weapons included 100kg of plastic explosives, 20 AK47 assault rifles, 10 sniper rifles, 20 handguns and 20 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, and several arm-burst launchers capable of disabling armoured vehicles.

He had proposed part-paying for the arms shipment by the sale of a Portuguese restaurant in Alvor, which was supplied by Gregory, rumoured to have been an MI5 agent himself.

Mr Justice Hart said he was satisfied at all times that McCaugherty “was acting as a senior and trusted member of the Real IRA”.

Later, when sentencing him to a concurrent maximum of 10 years for membership, the Belfast judge added that while such a sentence should normally be reserved for leading terrorists, “it is abundantly clear . . . McCaugherty did occupy such a position”.

His defence Adrian Colton had argued that while McCaugherty may not have been entrapped, in the legal sense, by the agent known as “Ali”, he had been “enticed” into acting the way he had, and was therefore entitled to a reduction in sentence.

Mr Justice Hart, in rejecting this contention said that “McCaugherty’s admissions to Ali reveal that he has been an active and energetic terrorist for a considerable period of time, and one who was prepared to go to great lengths to obtain weapons”.

And in a stark warning to other dissident republicans, he warned: “Continued terrorist activity at the present time requires the courts to impose severe deterrent sentences in cases such as this.”
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REAL IRA DEPUTY JAILED FOR 20YRS IN MI5 STING

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Paul McCaugherty / Dermot Gregory
2 October 2010
Mirror
Michael Donnelly

Dissident chief guilty of £90k gun smuggling plot

THE Real IRA's second-in-command was yesterday jailed for 20 years for attempting to smuggle £90,000 of guns and explosives.

Sent down with Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, 44, was 42-year-old Dermot Declan Gregory who was handed a four-year term.

The pair were caught as part of a MI5 sting codenamed Nare and Liburna, carried out by "role-playing" agents against dissident republicans.

They were convicted after a Diplock trial at Belfast Crown Court in June heard from the MI5 agents, described as "Covert Human Intelligence Sources", who outlined the sting operation which ran from August 2004 to June 2006.

McCaugherty, 44, of Beechcourt in Lurgan, Co Armagh, who once boasted it was his unit who made the Omagh bomb, showed no emotion as Mr Justice Hart said any attempt to import a large amount of weapons "must be regarded as exceptionally serious because of the potential for murder and destruction on a large scale".

In all the taxi-driving married father of two was convicted of IRA membership, conspiracy to possess guns and explosives and using and arranging money for terrorism.

McCaugherty's shopping list included 100 kilos of plastic explosives, 20 AK47 assault rifles, 10 sniper rifles, 20 handguns and 20 rocket-propelled grenade launchers and several arm-burst launchers capable of taking out armoured vehicles.

He'd proposed part paying for the arms by the sale of a Portuguese restaurant in Alvor. That was supplied by Gregory, a mechanic, from Concession Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, who was rumoured to have been an MI5 agent.

Described as one of the dissident's money men, he was convicted of making the restaurant available for the purposes of terrorism.

Mr Justice Hart told him:

"Money is the life-blood of any terror organisation and anyone who makes property available to a terrorist organisation helps that organisation further its objectives of murder and destruction, and the punishment must reflect this."

Mr Justice Hart said he was satisfied McCaugherty "was acting as a senior and trusted member of the Real IRA".

He added: "Continuing terrorist activity at the present time requires the court to impose severe deterrent sentences."

Later when sentencing him to the maximum of 10 years for membership, the Belfast judge added that while such a sentence should normally be reserved for leading terrorists, "it is abundantly clear .... McCaugherty did occupy such a position".

Defending Adrian Colton argued that while McCaugherty may not have been entrapped, in the legal sense, by agent Ali, he had been "enticed" into the offence, and was entitled to a reduction in sentence.

Mr Justice Hart, in rejecting this contention said:

"McCaugherty's admissions to Ali reveal that he has been an active and energetic terrorist for a considerable period, and one who was prepared to go to great lengths to obtain weapons".

This, added the judge, was evidenced from the fact he made "numerous trips to meet Ali to destinations as far apart as Amsterdam, Bruges and Istanbul".

Turning to Gregory, the judge said he did not believe his intentions were in providing the restaurant to the RIRA were not as alturistic as McCaugherty may have thought.

Mr Justice Hart said he was satisfied while his efforts "were significant it was his intention to use the RIRA to retrieve his property", albeit he was prepared to pay them a substantial sum.

He added: "It cannot be easily quantified how much they would have benefited by this exercise, but it would have been a substantial amount of money.

Mr Justice Hart also ordered the forfeiture of almost £43,000 given to Ali by McCaugherty, who like Gregory is to appeal.
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RIRA gun run plotter gets 20yrs after sting

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Paul McCaugherty / Dermot Gregory
2 October 2010 
The Sun
Jason Johnson

A SENIOR Real IRA terrorist was starting a 20-year prison sentence last night after being snared in an MI5 sting operation.

Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, 44, struck a deal with an undercover agent as he plotted to import guns and explosives into the UK.

Mr Justice Anthony Hart told Belfast Crown Court the attempt to import the weapons was "exceptionally serious because of the potential for murder and destruction on a large scale". McCaugherty, of Lurgan, Co Armagh, showed no emotion as he was jailed alongside co-accused Dermot Declan Gregory, 42. Gregory, of Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, was given four years for making a property in Portugal available for the purposes of terrorism. (The Panda Restaurant in Alvor, Portugal)

Burly

As he was led away, burly McCaugherty raised one arm to friends and family in the heavily guarded courtroom. The court heard he set out to buy a substantial quantity of weapons and explosives in Europe on behalf of the Real IRA.

He was introduced to a person he knew as Ali who he believed was a genuine arms dealer but was really an MI5 agent.

McCaugherty agreed to buy 100kg of plastic explosives, 28 AK assault rifles, 20 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, ten sniper rifles and two pistols.

During his negotiations with Ali he handed over £45,970 in cash as part payment for the weapons. Mr Justice Hart said he was satisfied McCaugherty was acting as a senior member of the Real IRA.

The sentencing came in the week after Home Secretary Theresa May and MI5 warned dissidents plan to bomb Britain.
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Pair jailed for Real IRA arms plot

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Paul Anthony John McCaugherty and Dermot Declan Gregory

1 October 2010
UTV News


Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, 44, from Beechcourt in Lurgan Co Armagh, was jailed for attempting to smuggle €104,000 of guns and explosives into Northern Ireland.

His co-accused, Dermot Declan Gregory, aka Michael Dermot Gregory, 42, from Concession Road, Crossmaglen, Co Down, will spend four years behind bars.

The pair were caught as part of a Secret Service sting operation code-named Nare and Liburna, carried out by "role-playing" MI5 agents against dissident republicans to thwart their gun-running plans.

They were convicted after a non-jury Diplock trial at Belfast Crown Court in June heard from the MI5 agents, described as "Covert Human Intelligence Sources", who outlined the sting operation which ran from August 2004 to June 2006.

McCaugherty, who once boasted it was his IRA branch who made up the Omagh bomb which claimed the lives of 29 people, including unborn twins, showed no emotion as Mr Justice Hart said any attempt to purchase and import a large amount of weapons "must be regarded as exceptionally serious because of the potential for murder and destruction on a large scale".

In all the taxi driving married father-of-two was convicted of seven charges including IRA membership, conspiracy to possess guns and explosives and using and arranging money for the purposes of terrorism.

McCaugherty's shopping list of weapons included 100kg of plastic explosives, 20 AK47 assault rifles, 10 sniper rifles, 20 handguns and 20 rocket propelled grenade launchers, and several arm-burst launchers capable of taking out armoured vehicles.

He had proposed part-paying for the arms shipment by the sale of a Portuguese restaurant in Alvor, which was supplied by Gregory, a scrap-dealing motor mechanic, and rumoured to have been an MI5 agent himself.

'Money Man'


Described during the trial as one of the dissident republican's money men, he was convicted of making the restaurant available for the purposes of terrorism.

Mr Justice Hart told Gregory that "money is the life -blood of any terrorist organisation, and anyone who makes property available to a terrorist organisation helps that organisation further its objectives of murder and destruction, and the punishment must reflect this".

Mr Justice Hart said he was satisfied at all times that McCaugherty "was acting as a senior and trusted member of the Real IRA" and was attempting to obtain weapons "in his capacity as a leading member of the RIRA, and the sentence must reflect these factors".

Later when sentencing him to the maximum of 10 years for membership, the Belfast judge added that while such a sentence should normally be reserved for leading terrorists, "it is abundantly clear ....that McCaugherty did occupy such a position".

Mr Justice Hart said despite his determined efforts to get weaponry, it was true that there "was never any prospect of McCaugherty obtaining these weapons because the entire operation was a carefully contrived sting".

His defence QC Adrian Colton had argued that while McCaugherty may not have been entrapped, in the legal sense, by the agent known as 'Ali', he had been 'enticed' into acting the way he had, and was therefore entitled to a reduction in sentence.

Mr Justice Hart, in rejecting this contention said that "McCaugherty's admissions to Ali reveal that he has been an active and energetic terrorist for a considerable period of time, and one who was prepared to go to great lengths to obtain weapons".

This, added the judge, was evidenced from the fact he made "numerous trips to meet Ali to destinations as far apart as Amsterdam, Bruges and Istanbul".

However, Mr Justice Hart said he was prepared to "make some allowance" given the unjustifiable delay in bringing McCaugherty to trial, and because at his trial a "great majority of the anonymous witnesses were agreed".

Turning to Gregory, the judge said he did not believe his intentions were as altruistic as McCaugherty may have thought in providing the Panda restaurant in Alvor, to the RIRA.

Mr Justice Hart said he was satisfied while his efforts "were significant ...... it was his intention to use the RIRA to retrieve his property", albeit he was prepared to pay them a substantial sum once the operation was completed.

"It cannot be easily quantified how much they would have benefited by this exercise, but it would have been a substantial amount of money on any showing," said the judge.

Mr Justice Hart said, since he did not think Gregory would have been as generous as supposed, he sentenced him "on the basis that he intended to benefit substantially from the RIRA's effort on his behalf".

However, he declared that: "Nevertheless this was a serious offence. "Money is the life blood of any terrorist organisation, and anyone who makes property available to a terrorist organisation helps that organisation further its objectives of murder and destruction, and the sentence must reflect this".

As part of his sentencing Mr Justice Hart also ordered the forfeiture of almost €50,000 given to Ali by McCaugherty, who like Gregory has already lodged an appeal against their convictions.
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Pair jailed for Real IRA gun plot

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1 October 2010
BBC
Paul McCaugherty was found guilty after a non-jury trial


Two men have been jailed for their part in a dissident republican gun smuggling plot which was uncovered after an MI5 sting operation.

Paul McCaugherty, 43, of Beech Court in Lurgan who was found guilty of attempting to import weapons and explosives, was given 20 years.

Dermot Declan Gregory of Concession Road in Crossmaglen, was found guilty of making a Portuguese property available for the purpose of terrorism. He was sentenced to four years.
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Real IRA man jailed for 20 years

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1 Oct 2010
Irish Times

A leading dissident republican was has been jailed for 20 years for attempting to smuggle weapons and explosives into Northern Ireland.

Paul McCaugherty (43) from Lurgan, Co Armagh, was convicted of a string of offences at Belfast Crown Court related to the elaborate two-year undercover sting operation carried out by MI5.
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Men jailed over arms smuggling plot

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1 Oct 2010
Independent

Two men were have been jailed after a dissident republican gun smuggling plot was uncovered by an MI5 sting operation.

Paul McCaugherty, 44, of Lurgan, Co Armagh, was found guilty of attempting to import weapons and explosives and given 20 years. He sought the equipment for the Real IRA from an arms dealer who was a security services agent.

Dermot Declan Gregory, 42, of Crossmaglen, was found guilty of making a Portuguese property available for the purpose of terrorism. He was sentenced to four years.
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