Sentenced: Royal Marine Who Supplied Bombs To Irish Paramilitaries

A Royal Marine has been jailed for 18 years for supplying bombs to an Irish republican paramilitary group. 

Ciaran Maxwell stashed anti-personnel mines, mortars, ammunition and 14 pipe bombs in 43 purpose built hides in Northern Ireland and England.

A Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) pass card, a PSNI uniform and a police stab-proof vest were also discovered. 

The court heard that the 31-year-old was building the explosives at his late grandmother's home while he was on leave.

Paul Hynes QC, defending, told the court that at 16, Maxwell was "left for dead" with a fractured skull in an attack by a group of older men armed with hammers and clubs and suffered post-traumatic stress disorder he believes affected him throughout the rest of his life.

Having left Northern Ireland to study archaeology at the University of Newcastle, Maxwell failed to complete his degree and returned home where he began to drink heavily and use recreational drugs.

In 2009, he decided to try and fulfil an "ambition" to join the Marines.

Maxwell, who was about to be promoted to corporal before he was discovered and discharged from the Marines, found the ammunition and detonator cables while on exercise and had not sought them out, Mr Hynes said.

Maxwell was a serving Royal Marine with 40 Commando based at Norton Manor Camp in Taunton at the time of the offences and was deployed in the United States, Cyprus and the UK - but not Northern Ireland - after enlisting in 2010.

The 31-year-old pleaded guilty to preparation of terrorist acts between January 2011 and August last year, possessing images of bank cards for fraud and possessing cannabis with intent to supply.

Detective Chief Inspector Gillian Kearney said Maxwell used his military know-how to accumulate and construct his devices, and described the infiltration of the military by a republican; saying: 

"This is certainly the first case of its kind in recent years".

Sentencing, Mr Justice Sweeney said:

"I'm sure that you were and will remain motivated by dissident republican sympathies and a hostility to the UK."