An appeal by a petty thief convicted of involvement in the 1993 Warrington gasworks bombing received a setback yesterday when a leading IRA man refused to give evidence on his behalf.
The leader of the IRA unit which carried out the attack had planned to tell the Court of Appeal that John Kinsella (53) had never been a member of the IRA and was duped into taking a minor role in the operation, according to counsel for Kinsella.
But Pairic Mac Fhloinn, currently serving 35 years for his role in the bombing, claimed the IRA leadership had told him not to appear at the appeal at Woolwich, south-east London.
Kinsella stashed a bag of Semtex for future IRA operations near a bonfire site at an allotment, believing it contained stolen silver and had always denied any involvement with the organisation, said his counsel, Mr Anthony Scrivener QC.
At his trial in 1994, Kinsella, of Nottingham, was jailed for 20 years for possession of an explosive substance, but this as reduced to 16. Kinsella claimed he had been duped by the IRA cell - which included his nephew Denis - and told the police where the haul had been hidden as soon as he realised the true contents, Mr Scrivener said.
But Mr David Waters QC, for the prosecution, said Mac Fhloinn's evidence should be ignored since he was not someone whom the court "should view as being capable of belief".
He said Mac Fhloinn did not raise his concerns until 1995.
Mr Scrivener described Kinsella as a "semi-retired minor villain" whom the IRA had not included on their roll of honour, which listed their jailed operators.
He said Kinsella might have been eager to make a few pounds but the only link with the IRA that had been found was three photographs in a family album which included a display commemorating the violent death of an IRA volunteer in Belfast in 1972.
The appeal was adjourned until today.