Man accused of making viable explosive device told police he was going to use it to ‘light a bonfire’

By The Newsroom
Published 19th Oct 2020, 15:54 BST
Police attended a security alert following the discovery of the device at Woodville Street on SundayPolice attended a security alert following the discovery of the device at Woodville Street on Sunday
Police attended a security alert following the discovery of the device at Woodville Street on Sunday
A Lurgan man accused of making an improvised explosive device told police he intended to use it to “light a bonfire”, a court has heard.

Refusing to free 33-year-old Sean Burns on bail, District Judge Rosie Watters told Lisburn Magistrates Court “I think anyone involved in making an explosive device is a danger to the public....I’m concerned about further offences.”

Burns, from Woodville Street, appeared in court via videolink from police custody where he was charged with two offences - possessing explosives, namely fireworks and accelerant, and making an improvised explosives device, both under suspicious circumstances.

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Giving evidence to the court Constable Fowles, who said she believed she could connect Burns to each of the offences, outlined how police were called to a domestic incident in the early hours of Sunday and police found an item which “caused them concern”.

That item, the court heard, was a deconstructed firework and what appeared to be ball bearings, all which had been attached to a glass bottle filled with an accelerant. The officer said the device has been declared “viable”.

Once that had been seized and made safe, officers conducted a further search where they uncovered an air rifle, an “assortment” of ammunition, “15 to 20 mobile phones”, fireworks, “a large number of knives”, a baseball bat and a cross bow.

Arrested and questioned about the seizures, Burns claimed he did not need a certificate for the air rifle, that the ammunition were BB pellets and that the viable device was not intended for any sinister use, but he was going to use it to “light a bonfire”.

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Constable Fowles said police were objecting to bail due to concerns that he would commit further offences.

Under cross examination from defence counsel Damien Halleron, the officer agreed that Burns had been freed on police bail in relation to firearms offences.

Submitting that Burns could be freed on bail with conditions to address police concerns, Mr Halleron claimed the defendant was not part of any illegal grouping or crime gang.

District Judge Watters remanded him into custody until November 13.