Mortar bomber jailed for 14 years

Gary Jones, of Castlekeel in the city, was found guilty in October of causing an explosion likely to endanger life.

Belfast Crown Court heard that in July 1998, a white van parked close to the station, crashed into a parked car.

As the driver began to run off, the mortar launched from the back of the van. However, it failed to explode.

Diplock trial

His trial was told that on 21 July 1998, a white van was parked in a car park close to the police station at Corry Square in Newry.

The diplock court was told that after the van crashed into a parked car, a passer-by tackled the driver as he began to run off.

Moments after he did so, the mortar launched from the rear of the van but landed just a few feet away and failed to explode.

Jones was linked to the attack by forensic evidence.

Sentencing Jones, Mr Justice Morgan said the attack had been "carefully prepared and premeditated" which, if it had been successful "would have caused extensive damage and potentially could have caused serious injury and even death".

"A mortar bomb is a weapon which can kill and maim a large number of people and cause substantial damage to property. Such devices have frequently done so in the past," he said.

Describing the improvised mortar bomb system as a "merciless weapon of great destructiveness", he said it was only a fluke that the attack went wrong.