Two men, Damian Duffy, 56, and Shea Reynolds, 31, have been jailed for plotting an attack on a retired police officer using a wildlife camera.
Duffy, from Dungannon, received a 12½-year sentence, while Reynolds, from Lurgan, was sentenced to 11½ years, each with a five-year extension. Judge Patricia Smyth, presiding over the non-jury trial at Belfast Crown Court, described both men as “dangerous.”
The pair were convicted of six terrorism-related offences, including preparation of terrorist acts, possession of articles for terrorism, and attempting to collect information likely to be useful to a terrorist. The offences occurred between 3 and 21 September 2016.
The court heard that Duffy and Reynolds initially placed the camera in the Annaghone Road area before installing it in the driveway of the retired officer. The plan aimed to gather intelligence to enable an attack on the officer’s life. Police foiled the attempt and replaced the camera with a dummy device, which the men tried to recover days later.
Judge Smyth emphasized that while the plot did not constitute attempted murder, it involved “considerable planning” and “specific targeting” of the retired officer. She also noted that neither defendant accepted responsibility, and no remorse was shown.
Det Supt Moutray of the PSNI Terrorism Investigation Unit confirmed that surveillance linked Duffy and Reynolds to the New IRA and that forensic evidence tied Reynolds to the camera. Duffy has a prior history of terrorist offences, including a 1993 conviction for offences carried out on behalf of the IRA.
This case highlights the persistent threat posed by individuals involved in terrorism and the role of careful police surveillance in preventing attacks on public servants.
