Judge 'possible target' of botched bomb attack
A JUDGE may have been the intended target of a failed bomb attack at a house on one of Ulster's most upmarket streets.
Homeowners were evacuated at 9am yesterday when a "viable device" was found in the back garden of a home at Malone Park Central in south Belfast.
It is understood the judge lived in the house next door but had moved out in 2005.
Neighbours in the exclusive spot said Army bomb experts told them the device may have lay undiscovered for years.
It was found in a coal shed and has been described as either a nail or pipe bomb around two feet long with a six inch fuse at one end.
South Belfast Assembly member Carmel Hanna said the discovery was a disturbing reminder of the past when judges were targeted by paramilitaries.
She added: "Because a judge had lived in the area and the device may have sat for a long time it could well have been an attempt to target him.
"Whatever the motive, it is a very distressing incident for the homeowner that must be condemned.
"Whoever left it was acting in a most irresponsible manner."
An Army bomb disposal team has removed the device for forensic examination and residents were allowed back in their homes a short time after the alert.
It is believed the family who live in the home where the bomb was found are staying with relatives in Donegal.
The discovery came a day after a roadside bomb was found in Fermanagh.
It has been linked to dissident republicans who have recently stepped up their campaign of violence.
However, it is unclear whether police are connecting it to the Malone Park incident.
A PSNI spokeswoman declined to comment on whether the judge had been the likely target.
She added that the investigation was ongoing and officers were still working to establish a motive.
Police are appealing for anyone with information to contact them on 0845 6008000.
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Monday 13 February 2012
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