Judge says dissidents ‘are impervious to change’ as he rejects bomb-maker’s bid to be freed from jail sooner

A man who worked with a Royal Marine to manufacture explosives for dissident republicans has failed to get his prison term cut.

Niall Lehd, 33, appealed his sentence of 24 years behind bars and an extended period of five years on licence for involvement in making bombs and other munitions found buried in hides around his hometown of Larne.

Lehd, who was implicated by rogue serviceman Ciaran Maxwell, claimed his sentence was manifestly excessive and based on a flawed assessment of his dangerousness.

But judges in the Court of Appeal rejected all grounds of challenge.

Lord Justice McCloskey said: “The two men in essence constituted an independent engineering team supplying explosive devices to dissident republicans.”

Lehd, from Seahill Road in Larne, and Maxwell, 36, grew up together in the same housing estate.

In 2016 plastic barrels were discovered buried in the ground in a park which contained mines, explosive projectiles, pipe bombs, handguns and ammunition, improvised detonators, timer power units and command wires.

Maxwell, still a serving Royal Marine at the time, was forensically connected to the arms dumps, admitted his part in sourcing and making the munitions, and alerted police to the location of seven other hides.

He was sentenced 23 years in jail.

Despite initial denials, Lehd admitted a charge of engaging in the preparation of terrorist acts.

Prosecutors described Lehd as long-standing republican sympathiser who wilfully took part in making explosives.

The trial judge highlighted the “murderous intent” of the items seized, many of which were ready to use.

Based on Lehd being assessed a dangerous offender, an extended custodial sentence was imposed.

Defence lawyers argued that insufficient credit was given for his guilty plea, and claimed the trial judge wrongly concluded that his offending involved an intent to cause multiple deaths.

But dismissing the appeal, Lord Justice McCloskey identified no flaws in the sentencing.

Citing the prosecution case, the judge said on Friday: “The harm which could have been caused by the offending included multiple deaths, injury, and damage to property.

“Those involved in dissident groups will be likely to have strong motivations of a political character which drives them towards seeking to realise their goals by violent means.

“They are likely to be impervious to change.”