GAA club pipe bomb accused says he was threatened

An east Belfast man accused of being behind a crude pipe bomb attack on a GAA club has said he was threatened by a group of men and told to alert the police.

John Wilson, 59, of Lower Braniel Road in Belfast is charged with possessing explosives under suspicious circumstances, charges he denies.

He also denies three further offences of attempting to intimidate members of the East Belfast GAA Club from attending or playing sports at Henry Jones Playing Fields.

Pipe bombs were left on the bonnets of a number of cars at the playing fields in Castlereagh on 5 August 2020, triggering a security alert.

Wanted to 'train dogs'

On Wednesday, at Belfast Crown Court the defence began laying out its case.

Mr Wilson said he became aware that the playing fields were being used by the GAA in July 2020 due to various posts from football teams on social media which said they had to find alternative facilities.

He said he was hearing that people were unhappy with this situation, and also mentioned that he had worn a Northern Ireland top on the pitches at one point and was given a "couple of dirty looks".

When asked about the day in question Mr Wilson said he was at work.

CCTV footage seen by the court showed him returning home at around 15:00 and then leaving his house with his two German Shepherd dogs shortly after 18:00.

Mr Wilson said he drove to a graveyard to visit a friend's grave and then went to Henry Jones playing fields to walk his dogs when he saw "three or four boys" standing around so he "turned and went to the gravel pitches".

He said he became aware someone was behind him and two men in their "late 20s, early 30s" confronted him and told to go to the Ballygowan Road to make a phone call. Mr Wilson said they told him they knew where he lived and knew where his children lived.

He said he "just did what they said" out of panic. Mr Wilson said he didn't make any devices or touch them. He said he had "nothing to do with them."

Jury shown texts from the accused

Warning: This contains language which some people may find offensive

The jury of seven men and five women were also shown text message exchanges between Mr Wilson and his contacts in the days and weeks leading up to 5 August.

One exchange with a friend said: "You've taken up funny football" to which Mr Wilson said: "Not happy, watch this space."

When asked to clarify what he meant by this Mr Wilson said he wanted "to get a couple of lads" and get there before the team started playing.

The jury were also shown another text from a friend which said: "Fenian Lives Matter" to which he replied: "Scum mate".

Mr Wilson said he was embarrassed by those remarks.

Texts also showed that Mr Wilson contacted his local DUP councillor at the time, Joanne Bunting, highlighting his concerns.

Ms Bunting responded and said if that if they've booked and paid for the pitches then they're entitled to use them.

In an exchange with a friend Mr Wilson said he planned to start a petition against the GAA team using the pitches and "stupidly" planned to go to the pitches and mark them off with cones so he could train his dogs.

He then messaged a friend saying "stay away on Monday evening with a thumbs up emoji".

In relation to that comment, Mr Wilson said he was walking his dogs one night and encountered a group of men who told him to stay away one night and he was passing that information on.

In another text to another person he said: "I couldn't sit and watch what was going on". He said he thought the teams who played football there and had to move would have done more to resist it. He said he felt it wasn't fair.

In another message he said: "Big man can you get a few numbers and get there on the pitch before 7".

He said he was trying to organise a football match to start before the GAA training began.

Another text said "I have a few things planned" to which he said he meant the petition and also the football match he wanted to organise.

He also texted about a "running battle over the last few weeks" – but he said in court he was exaggerating to get some support.

In another text he said: "I don't want to do something daft and get myself into trouble" and that "he was worried he might lose everything".

He said those comments were in relation to his idea to put cones up around the pitch.

The trial is due to hear closing statements on Thursday.