Three Scottish men accused of having links to loyalist paramilitary groups have been acquitted after a month-long trial at Kilmarnock High Court.
James McKenzie (36), from Irvine, Neil Findlay (33) from Ayr, and Eric Hamilton (19), from Stewarton, were jointly charged with breaching Section 57 (1) of the Terrorism Act 2000 and of possessing bomb making equipment to further the aims of loyalist organisations the UDA and UFF.
The jury of eight women and seven men took four-and-a-half hours to return a majority verdict of not proven against all three.
However Hamilton was found to be in contempt of court after refusing to identify who supplied him with a sawn-off shotgun.
The teenager and his co-accused James McKenzie, were convicted of the possession of the firearm and remanded in custody.
Jock Thomson QC, for Hamilton, told the court that his client had refused to answer questions over who supplied the shotgun because he feared for his life. "It was not done in any sort of defiance," he said.
"It was done for his fear of the consequences of identifying the person."
McKenzie was also convicted of possessing two stun guns and Hamilton, known by his nickname of "Tyson" admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis.
Co-accused Neil Findlay, 33, walked free from court after also being cleared of links to the loyalist terror groups.
The judge, Lord Hardie, directed the panel to convict the heavily-tattooed Hamilton of possessing the shotgun and McKenzie of possessing the stun guns.
The jury also unanimously found Hamilton guilty of failing to hold a firearms certificate for the shotgun, while McKenzie was convicted of the same offence by a majority verdict.
The prosecution alleged that the men were between them storing fireworks, igniters and incendiary devices at seven addresses in Irvine, North Ayrshire, Ayr, South Ayrshire and Stewarton in East Ayrshire.
When police raided the houses in the early hours of July 31, 2003, they also discovered a large quantity of Ulster Defence Association (UDA) propaganda suggesting there was an active unit in Ayrshire.
The Crown said the three men, who were all Glasgow Rangers fans, stored the equipment for a "purpose connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism".
The trio's legal team told the court that while the men in the dock may have loyalist sympathies they were not terrorists.
Findlay, apprentice mechanic Hamilton, and McKenzie - a factory worker - were all arrested on July 30, 2003, following an undercover police operation involving 21 officers.
Judge Lord Hardie deferred sentence until 27 January at Glasgow High Court and both men were remanded in custody.