Man appears in court following pipe bomb security alert in east Belfast
A man discovered lying beside a pipe bomb in an east Belfast neighbourhood claims he was “abducted” and handed the device over a “£5,000 drug debt”, a court has been told.
Kieran Smithson was arrested amid a security alert which led to families being evacuated from their homes at Dundela Street in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The 24-year-old, of Connsbrook Avenue, appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court charged with possessing explosives in suspicious circumstances.
He is also accused of criminal damage and attempted criminal damage to two vehicles in connection with the same incident. The court was told police were sent to Dundela Street just after 5am on October 25 when residents were woken by loud noises and the sound of laughing. One woman allegedly identified Mr Smithson kicking a car while another resident claimed the same individual had thrown an object at a van parked nearby. He then walked up the street carrying an item and sat on a window sill before getting onto the ground, according to witnesses. Minutes later, police located Smithson lying outside that property. An investigating detective said: “They observed a pipe bomb-style device beside him. This has been examined and is found to contain explosive compounds.” During police interviews the defendant claimed he had been abducted by four men in a car the previous night. “He stated that they took him to a sports pitch where he was assaulted and threatened for non-payment of a £5,000 drugs debt,” the detective disclosed. “He refused to identify these persons, stating he was in fear for his safety. “He stated he was then returned to the area of Connsbrook Avenue by the gang following the assault, where they handed him an item wrapped in masking tape.”
Smithson claimed to have little memory of subsequent events due to drinking earlier that night, but denied knowing what it was he had allegedly been given. It was accepted that the accused, who is originally from England, has no known paramilitary connections. Defence solicitor Emmanuel Morgan argued that Smithson provided a full explanation in the interviews. “It’s a most bizarre incident, and my client wouldn’t have the wherewithal or the nous to construct such a device,” Mr Morgan submitted. “He was heavily under the influence of drink; his case is that he was simply handed this device.” Refusing bail, District Judge Mark McGarrity held there was a risk of re-offending. He pointed out: “He’s alleged to have… possessed a bomb. “The circumstances of the possession are, on his case, unusual and give me concern.” Smithson was remanded in custody to appear in court again on November 23.
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