Madden & Finucane
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Madden & Finucane
present
the Madden & Finucane
and Pat Finucane
Aisling Awards
The Aisling Bursaries, launched in March 2000, are
an educational initiative between Belfast Media Group and West Belfast
Partnership. The Aisling Bursaries are designed to help students defray their
education and training costs.
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Ballymena man Paul Darragh aquitted of terrorism charge
15 May 2007 --
“A Diplock Court in Belfast this morning acquitted Ballymena man Paul Darragh
who was charged with possession of a document likely to be of use to terrorists
contrary to Section 58(1) of the Terrorism Act 2000. It was alleged that Mr
Darragh on 13th November 2005 possessed handwritten instructions giving details
for making a fertiliser based explosive substance. The information came from a
well-known Internet Website known as “The Jolly Rodger Cookbook”.
Mr Darragh’s legal team contended that the information obtained by the defendant
was lacking in any detail, crude in the extreme and openly available on the
Internet. Mr Darragh answered all questions whilst in police custody and made it
clear that he had downloaded the information out of curiosity whilst surfing the
Internet. He had then forgotten about its existence until police found it some
days later.
In finding Mr Darragh not guilty, Judge McReynolds said today “In considering
the evidence in this case I have taken account of all that I have heard and seen
and I have had the opportunity to observe the demeanour of the accused who gave
evidence on his own behalf. It is for the prosecution to prove each element of
the offence charged beyond reasonable doubt, including the likelihood of such a
document being useful to a terrorist.”
Ciarán Shiels, a partner in law firm Madden & Finucane, said today:
“Our client has vehemently protested his innocence and denied from the outset
that he had any intention to use the information, which is widely available on
Internet websites. The last 18 months have been a terrible ordeal and the
Darragh family feel vindicated at today’s not guilty verdict’
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