Belfast man admits terrorist-related charges

Conal Corbett, 19, now of Ross Court in the west of the city, had previously denied a number of charges linked to the discovery of a bomb last year.

But at Belfast Crown Court on Friday his defence counsel Mark Mulholland QC made an application to have Corbett rearraigned on four of the fives charges he faced.

Corbett pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing articles for terrorist-related purposes – namely an Alcatel mobile phone and O2 top-up vouchers purchased days earlier.

He also admitted two charges of having a document or record likely to be of use in terrorism – handwritten instructions entitled, “AK47 Instruction Safety Manual’’ and “the Underground AK47 Build Manual!’’ in relation to the operation of an assault rifle.

The documents were found inside a doorbell ringer at his flat.

A prosecution lawyer asked that a fifth charge of having a document likely to be use to terrorists be “left on the books and not to be proceeded with without the leave of this court or the court of appeal’’.

Corbett was released on continuing bail and will be sentenced on August 9.