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John Wilson has been sentenced to three years in prison for attempting to carry out a pipe bomb attack targeting a Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club in Belfast. In August 2020, Wilson planted two crude pipe bombs on the bonnets of vehicles parked at the training grounds used by East Belfast GAA. The 59-year-old, who lives on Lower Braniel Road in Belfast, was found guilty in September following a trial at Belfast Crown Court.
The judge, during Wednesday’s sentencing, emphasized that Wilson deliberately deployed explosives with the intention of instilling fear and distress in order to achieve a sectarian goal — to prevent the public from using the GAA playing fields. He will serve half of his sentence behind bars, with the remainder spent on licence. However, the judge clarified that this attack was not classified as a terrorist offence.
A witness impact statement from one of East Belfast GAA’s founding members was read during the hearing. The member described the attack as “beyond cruel,” explaining how it cast a dark shadow of fear and worry over what should have been a joyful time; he had become engaged just two days before the incident. This testimony underlined the broader emotional impact of the threatening act on the community.
The pipe bombs failed to explode, and a jury found Wilson guilty not only of the attempted bombing but also of attempting to intimidate club members from attending or playing sports at Henry Jones Playing Fields. The jury took roughly four hours over two days to reach a verdict on all counts. Established in May 2020, East Belfast GAA was the first new GAA club in the eastern part of the city in nearly five decades. Wilson’s attack came less than three months after the club’s inception. Following the placement of the bombs, Wilson called 999 from a payphone near a pharmacy on Ballygowan Road to alert police about the devices. He was arrested at his home the following day.
At the outset of the trial, the prosecution described the act as “nakedly sectarian,” and noted during the recent sentencing hearing that the offenses clearly aimed to “cause terror and fear.” Meanwhile, Wilson’s defense counsel argued that these actions were “wholly out of character,” emphasizing his family background and work history in an attempt to mitigate the severity of the situation
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