Man gets 10 years for bomb attack

A Tyrone man who was convicted of a blast bomb attack on the town's RUC station 18 months ago was jailed for 10 years yesterday…

A Tyrone man who was convicted of a blast bomb attack on the town's RUC station 18 months ago was jailed for 10 years yesterday at Belfast Crown Court.

The grenade, estimated to contain about 1lb of Semtex-type explosive, failed to clear the perimeter wall of the station but caused damage to the outer fence.

Judge Anthony Hart was told that Gareth Doris (21), from Meena Park, Coalisland, Co Tyrone, was shot after a plainclothes soldier saw him and another man running from the scene of the explosion.

He failed to stop when challenged or when warning shots were fired, and the soldier fired at him after seeing him fumbling at his waistband. He was wounded in the abdomen. Another man escaped in a waiting car.

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A crown lawyer told the court that when plastic handcuffs were put on the defendant he was wearing pink or orange household gloves, and two other witnesses, a local Church of Ireland minister and a paramedic, also saw this.

Counsel added that a hostile crowd had gathered and police and soldiers had difficulty controlling it. The paramedic had removed the handcuffs before Doris was taken away in an ambulance, and at the hospital there was no sign of the rubber gloves.

Forensic examination of Doris's jacket disclosed traces of components found in high explosive, the court was told.

Doris had earlier denied any knowledge of the bombing or that he had been wearing gloves, and said the traces of explosive must have been caused by proximity to the explosion. Yesterday no witnesses were called as a defence lawyer said Doris was accepting the truth of the depositions, and would not be giving evidence himself.

Finding Doris guilty of the charge, Judge Hart said he was satisfied that Doris had been wearing the gloves.