Explosives found in Kerry in 2021 too dangerous to handle

Some of the explosives found in a remote location in Co Kerry in 2021 were so dangerous they could not be handled or measured, the Circuit Criminal Court has heard.

Ivan Gilder of Gearha North, Blackwater, Sneem, pleaded guilty last November to seven charges under the Offences Against the State and the Criminal Justice Acts.

His sentencing hearing in Killarney has heard that Gilder was aware of how dangerous the substances he made from household items were – but was “blithely unaware” of how unlawful.

The 63-year-old pleaded guilty to seven charges, including manufacturing explosives and having firearms and ammunition at his home near Sneem Co Kerry in March 2021.

The offences include making an explosive substance, namely a white crystalline powder containing Erithritol Tetranitrate (ETN) “under such circumstances as to give rise to the reasonable suspicion that he did not make it for a lawful object”, according to the charge.

The explosives were discovered as the result of a garda search operation, based on confidential information of “activity” in south Kerry, the court has previously heard.

Gilder, who is originally from Scotland, moved to Co Kerry in the 1980s. In 2021 he was living in makeshift accommodation – an adapted horsebox without services or electricity.

Outlining the facts of the case, Tom Rice, counsel for the DPP said that when gardaí arrived to search his residence, Gilder admitted there were dangerous substances present and showed gardaí “items of interest”.

These included tall glass containers and several packages with explosive ETN and another high explosive as well as a lower grade black powder explosive, which he was manufacturing on site.

The ingredients were available on the internet as well as in household products and hardware shops.

Some 200g of ETN was stored in the kitchen and there was also a peroxide-based explosive which was “very dangerous to handle” and so could not be weighed.

Other items included homemade initiators and also pipe bomb casing. The guns recovered were all a hunting type and had been used for target practice, the court was told.

Elizabeth Murphy, counsel for Gilder, described him in court as a “hobbyist”.

“While he was aware of how dangerous it was, he was blithely unaware how unlawful it was,” she said.

Judge Sinéad Behan said she had a number of concerns in relation to Gilder and would not finalise sentence until she had reports from both a psychiatrist and the probation office. This was for his own needs and for the protection of society.

She was also concerned about his living conditions without services in a remote area. She adjourned the matter and remanded Gilder in custody, ordering medical and psychiatric attention.

She finalised sentence a second accused man, Gilder’s son, Thomas Albrighton, 34, of Ardeen, Sneem, Co Kerry, who pleaded guilty last November to possession of ammunition at Ardeen, Sneem on 27 March, 2021, including 271 rounds of .22 ammunition and nine 12 gauge shotgun cartridges.

Albrighton also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm, a .22 calibre ‘Marlin’ rifle which was not authorised by a Firearms Certificate.

Judge Behan imposed a sentence of two years and suspended the sentence fully for a period of three years.