Kildare student charged with bomb possession still in custody 

A LAW student from Kildare has been remanded back into custody after gardaí allegedly discovered a pipe bomb in her car last week.

Isobella Perrie Sullivan (25), of Abbeylands Park, Clane appeared before a special sitting of Trim District Court in Co Meath on Friday evening (24 July) after a bomb was intercepted in a car near the Irish border and bailed to another hearing on Monday (27 July).

However, her independent surety of €15,000 had to be approved by gardaí, and so she was remanded to re-appear at Monaghan District Court yesterday (27 July), where Judge Raymond Finegan returned her back to custody to re-appear in court in Cavan tomorrow (Tuesday).

A co-accused Simon O’Donovan, 44, with an address at Sperrin Road in Drimnagh, appeared before the Special Criminal Court at the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin on Saturday evening, and remanded to another sitting of the Special Criminal Court yesterday (27 July).

On Friday, a Garda officer told the court how Perrie Sullivan had been stopped by gardaí on the N2 at Aclint, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan.

During a search of her vehicle, a bag was found in the rear seat which was allegedly found to contain Semtex and a detonator, the court heard.

The court heard that Perrie Sullivan was studying for a law degree and wanted to become a barrister.

Defence solicitor Gavin Booth, of Phoenix Law, said his client had been asked to take a bag to the north, and had not been aware what was in it.

He said she lived with her father in Kildare and wanted to become a barrister.

He said both her parents are devastated and can’t believe what has happened, adding that if granted bail they would intend to keep her on a “tight rein and ensure she abides by all conditions”.

Judge Raymond Finnegan agreed to allow bail, albeit with a number of conditions, which included an independent surety of €15,000, that she surrenders her passport, live at an address approved by Gardaí, provide a mobile phone number on which to be available 24/7, sign in every day at Naas Garda Station and observe a curfew of 9pm to 7am.

Gardaí also requested another condition, that she not have any contact with anyone in the Saoradh political party or the New IRA.

However, she was not able to satisfy gardaí with the bona fides of her €15,000, and so remanded back into custody.

Mr O’Donovan, an employee at a Dublin museum, has been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with possession of explosives that were intercepted.

Mr O’Donovan also represented himself in a bail hearing before the High Court, where his application for bail was refused after gardaí raised objections.