An al-Qaeda suspect who downloaded bomb-making instructions to blow up an aircraft was today jailed for six years at Belfast Crown Court.
The Algerian, who was tried as Abbas Boutrab (27) has used at least seven aliases since his first known arrest in Paris 13 years ago.
But after being found guilty of possessing and collecting information connected with terrorism, Judge Mr Justice Weatherup accused him of a plot with even more chilling consequences than the decades of paramilitary violence in Northern Ireland.
Passing sentence Judge Weatherup said: "Now we find the terrorism threat is subsiding and a new threat is emerging.
"This new threat has an added horror because the terrorist stands amongst the innocent men, women and children.
"That's a feature in the material that was recovered here. It provides instructions for improvised explosives with the objecting of bringing down an aircraft and the lives of all those on board."
After the conviction the officer who led the investigation, Det Supt Esmond Adair, said a dangerous man had been removed from the streets. "I believe he is an unrepentant terrorist."
Police also revealed he was wanted in the Irish Republic for attempted murder in 2002. But his movements have been traced back a decade earlier, to November 1992 when he was arrested in Paris for a handbag snatch. At that time he used the identity of Mourad Benali, allegedly born in Algiers in 1976.
In 2001 he turned up in the Republic of Ireland under another false identity - Yocef Djafari - and applied for asylum. However a deportation order was made by the Irish authorities in April 2002.
He was stopped in south Dublin in early 2002 and questioned. He gave his name as David Giam but ran off while being spoken to by gardai.
A search of the car revealed a pay cheque in the name of David Giam Pellegrini from a firm in Lucan. When garda went to the firm they were told he no longer worked there.
But according to the PSNI, three months later he was involved in a fight at the same location where he repeatedly stabbed Mustafah Mesided causing serious injury.
When detectives checked an address for the defendant they discovered a car was registered to the address in the name of Adam Seghras. It had been involved in a road accident in Carrick-on-Shannon in May when the driver gave the name of Abbass Fawwaz.
A Dutch passport in the name of Fawwaz was also seized. It had been stolen and falsified by Boutrab putting his photograph on it. The PSNI said the photograph appeared to be identical to that of all the identities used by Boutrab while in the Irish Republic.
After the stabbing in the Republic, the assailant crossed the border to Northern Ireland where he applied for asylum under the name of Abbas Boutrab. He also, however, used the false identity of Fabio Parenti from an Italian passport and identity card stolen at Dublin airport and subsequently found in Boutrab's flat when it was searched.
He first came to the attention of the PSNI Foreign National Unit which was conducting a search in relation to a different person. As a result of material found in the flat, officers began the investigation which ended in today's conviction.
During the search of Boutrab's home, two mobile phones were discovered - one stolen. A text message on one led police in Holland to search a flat belonging to a Redouan Daoud and they seized a mobile phone with the same text message on it.
Daoud was arrested but managed to escape from prison. He was later arrested in France where he is awaiting trial on terrorist charges.
Boutrab has already spent two years on remand, meaning he could be released in a year's time under rules for good behaviour. John Creaney QC, for the Crown, refused to accept that any of the names he used across Europe were his real identity. He urged the judge to consider the full seriousness of the offences.
Mr Creaney said: "They are charges which go to the heart of the security of not only this province, but of the wider European community."
But Frank O'Donoghue QC, defending, called for recognition of his isolated status within Maghaberry Prison near Lisburn, Co Antrim. "There are very few, if any, other prisoners of the same cultural background as this particular defendant," he said.
"He doesn't have the trappings of support that one might anticipate someone in his position to have. "His position is very different to someone who might find themselves in a similar position in England."
PA