One of three men accused of taking part in a plot to bomb British targets told police there had been no intention to endanger life, the Old Bailey was told yesterday.
Mr Anthony Hyland (26) declined to answer questions during 12 interviews between July 10th and 14th last year, said Mr Nigel Sweeney, prosecuting. However, when charged with conspiring to cause explosions likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property, he allegedly said: "I would like to state emphatically there was never any intention to endanger life."
This was "a clear, implicit admission he had intended to cause serious injury to property", Mr Sweeney said.
Mr Hyland, Mr Liam Grogan (22), of Naas, Co Kildare, and Mr Darren Mulhol
land (20), of Dundalk, Co Louth, both students, deny that with others unknown they conspired to cause explosions between June 1st and July 11th, 1998. They allegedly intended to use a Semtex bomb and six incendiary devices to bomb targets in Britain following the Belfast Agreement.
The case was adjourned until Monday.