An unemployed man appeared at a special court in Craigavon yesterday charged with having bombs in his possession under suspicious circumstances at Lurgan on Tuesday.
Mr John Thomas Jefferson (35), Portlec Place, Lurgan, was further charged with having on the same date three rounds of .22 and six rounds of 9 mm ammunition under suspicious circumstances. An RUC detective sergeant said that when charged and cautioned, Mr Jefferson replied: "Not guilty." He was remanded in custody to appear at a court sitting in the Maze Prison on June 30th.
Although not specified on the charge sheet, it was stated at the time of the discovery that 14 pipe bombs were found by security forces. The same police source described the pipe bombs and ammunition find as being "significant" at a time when pipe bombs had been used at two homes in Portadown, one of which killed Mrs Elizabeth O'Neill in her home.