Northern Ireland

Niall Lehd admits to a charge linked to the discovery of dissident arms dumps

Niall Lehd, of Seahill Road in Larne, pleaded guilty
Niall Lehd, of Seahill Road in Larne, pleaded guilty Niall Lehd, of Seahill Road in Larne, pleaded guilty

A Larne man has been remanded into custody after he admitted a charge linked to the discovery of dissident arms dumps in the Co Antrim town.

Niall Lehd was charged with five offences arising from the discovery of the arms dumps in 2016 after an ex-Royal Marine alleged his involvement.

Ciaran Maxwell, who is originally from Larne, was arrested in England in 2016 after members of the public found suspicious objects including anti-personnel mines in Capanagh Forest.

Several others areas were subsequently searched in Larne and further items linked to terrorism were found in the stashes.

Maxwell - who at the time was a serving commando based in Somerset - was later handed an 18-year sentence for terrorist offences at the Old Bailey in London.

He was described at the time as a dissident Republican who infiltrated the British military.

He claimed former schoolfriend Lehd was involved with the Larne arms dumps - which was initially denied by Lehd - and a non-jury trial was due to commence at Belfast Crown Court yesterday based upon Maxwell's allegations.

During the trial, Maxwell was to be called as a Crown witness and was due to give evidence against Lehd - claiming Lehd helped to source and construct some of the explosives recovered from the hides.

However, just before the hearing was due to start Lehd's barrister asked that a charge of preparing terrorist acts be put to his client again.

Lehd (32), from Seahill Road in Larne, pleaded guilty to a charge of engaging in the preparation of terrorists acts between January 1, 2011 and February 28, 2013.

After Lehd admitted this charge, a senior Crown barrister said that after taking instructions from the Prosecution Service, a decision had been made not to proceed with a further four charges of possessing explosives.

Lehd had been charged with three separate counts of possessing a pipe bomb on dates between March 31, 2016 and September, as well as possessing 'certain explosive substances' on the same dates.

The Crown barrister told Judge Stephen Fowler QC that in light of Lehd's plea, these four remaining counts were "to be left on the court books" and were not be proceeded with.

Judge Fowler agreed to this request, and after it emerged that no pre-sentence reports on Lehd are being sought, he expressed the hope that the plea could be dealt with as soon as possible.

A date was set for June 16 and remanded Lehd into custody.