Three charged in Belfast over weapons plot

23 June 2006
Reuters News Belfast

Three people including a husband and wife appeared in a Belfast court on Friday charged with a string of terrorist offences following a police operation earlier this week against dissident Irish republicans. The three were among 10 people detained on Monday after some 200 police officers backed by the British Army carried out raids in Counties Armagh and Fermanagh, disrupting what police described as "a potential major terrorist conspiracy".

Desmond Kearns, 41, from County Armagh, was charged with conspiracy to possess a quantity of weapons including AK47 assault rifles, sniper rifles, heavy machine guns and pistols. He was also charged with "conspiracy to control" other items including anti-tank weapons, plastic explosives and rocket-propelled grenades.

His wife Alison, 37, and the third accused, Michael Gregory, 37, were charged with other terrorism offences. The three were remanded in custody until July 28. Six others arrested on Monday have been released. One is being questioned by police.

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3 in court on 'plot' to buy guns
24 June 2006
Mirror
Jenna Sloan

A husband and wife were among three people charged yesterday over an alleged arms plot. Desmond Kearns, 41, was charged with conspiring to possess AK47s, sniper rifles, pistols, silencers, and heavy machine guns with intent. Also on the charge list were anti-tank weapons, plastic explosive, detonators, mines, rocket-propelled grenades, and ammunition. His wife Alison Kearns, 37, also of Tannaghmore Green, Lurgan, Co Armagh, faced lesser charges at Belfast Magistrates Court. Michael Gregory, 37, of Concession Road, Cross-maglen, Co Armagh, was charged with arranging assets in Portugal for a person who knew or suspected a terrorist purpose. They were remanded in custody to July 28.

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Three accused of weapons plot
24 June 2006
The Times

Three people, including a husband and wife, appeared in court after more than 200 police carried out raids in Northern Ireland and France on Monday.

Desmond Kearns, 41, of Lurgan, Co Armagh, appeared before Belfast magistrates charged with conspiracy to possess AK47s, sniper rifles, pistols, silencers, heavy machineguns and various types of ammunition with intent to endanger life, cause serious damage to property or enable others to do so. He was also accused of conspiring with others to have in his possession anti-tank armour-piercing weapons, plastic explosive, detonators, mines, rocket-propelled grenades and detonating cord with intent to endanger life.

His wife, Alison Kearns, 37, was charged with inviting another person on to provide weapons for terrorist purposes.

Michael Dermot Gregory, 37, of Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, was charged with arranging for the assets of a commercial property company in Portugal to be made available to another person who knew or suspected that they would be used for terrorism. All three were remanded in custody until July 28.