Seized pipe bombs contained ball bearings - trial told

One of the suspected pipe bombs found in the city cemetery in 2023

The trial of four men in connection with an illegal dissident republican Easter parade in Londonderry in 2023 has been told pipe bombs discovered in the city cemetery contained "ball bearings for extra shrapnel".

Three of the defendants are from Derry: Thomas Ashe Mellon, 49, of Glendermott Road; Jason Lee Ceulemans, 53, of Creevagh Heights and Patrick Anthony Gallagher, 33, of Raftery Close.

Their co-accused at Belfast Crown Court is Stephen Martin Murney, 41, of Derrybeg Terrace in Newry.

All four deny charges linked to an Easter parade in Derry on 10 April 2023.

Masked men in combat uniforms take part in the dissident parade through the Creggan estate in Derry in April 2023

They are accused of arranging a meeting in support of a banned organisation, namely the IRA, on dates between 28 February and 11 April, 2023.

They also deny addressing a meeting for the purpose of encouraging support for the IRA.

The are not charged in connection with the pipe bombs.

Thomas Ashe-Mellon pictured on the opening day of the trial

The non-jury Diplock-style trial at Belfast Crown Court is being heard by Judge Gordon Kerr KC.

The prosecution case is that an unnotified parade of men dressed in military style clothing left Creggan on Easter Monday, 10 April 2023, to walk the half-mile route to the city cemetery.

Prosecutors said Mr Ceulemans, Mr Murney and Mr Gallagher played their own roles in managing the commemoration, while Mr Mellon did not attend the parade.

Jason Ceulemans is one of four defendants who deny the charges against them

Day two of the trial was told about the discovery of four pipe bombs which were retrieved from a waste bin in the cemetery, near where the parade had come to a halt at the republican plot.

A statement was read on behalf of an Ammunition Technical Officer (ATO) who attended the scene the following day on 11 April 2023.

His statement said his role was to make safe and recover the pipe bombs for forensic examination.

While ATO was at the cemetery, a second day of rioting erupted in the city with petrol bombs, stones and bottles being thrown at police vehicles.

Patrick Gallagher is the third defendant from Derry

A forensic scientist said in a statement that he subsequently examined all four recovered pipe bombs.

He stated they were "copper pipes painted black'' which each contained a length of fuse and "mixed small arms propellant, firework composition and ball bearings''.

He described them as "improvised explosive devices'' and stated pipe bombs are "usually small, hand thrown or placed devices intended primarily as anti-personnel weapons.

He said "the addition of ball bearings are used in improvised explosive devices within Northern Ireland as additional shrapnel''.

Stephen Murney, the only defendant who is not from Derry, also denies the charges against him

The four defendants were subsequently arrested for questioning by detectives under anti-terrorism legislation.

Mr Murney's phone was recovered and messages were allegedly found between him and Thomas Ashe-Mellon surrounding his speech at the commemoration in the City Cemetery, the trial was told.

The court was also told about messages between Mr Ceulemans and Mr Mellon.

When Mr Mellon was asked by police if he helped draft speeches for the Easter Monday commemoration, his solicitor provided a statement, stating: "I, Thomas Ashe Mellon, would like to make it clear that I absolutely deny any involvement in the offences with which I have been arrested for.''

Said the senior prosecutor: "We say Mellon played a fundamental role in the organisation and arrangements of the meetings from the phone material.

"We further say that it is clear Mellon was influential in the preparation and management of the speeches. It is clear he had a key role in drafting and approving the speeches of Murney and Ceulemans.

"It is clear from the approved speech of Murney that Mellon knew this was to encourage support for the IRA or to further its activities.''

He told the judge: "This was a highly choreographed event. It was staged and stylised and it involved planned violence.

"On one reasonable view from start to finish it was a planned propaganda exercise for the IRA."

The trial continues.