Coney brothers jailed over Tyrone dissident republican camp

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-29159763

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Two brothers have been jailed over a dissident republican training camp in County Tyrone.

Gavin Joseph Coney, 37, of Gorticashel Road, Omagh, and Terence Aiden Coney, 36, of Malabhui Road, Carrickmore, were jailed for five years and nine months.

They admitted attending a place used for terrorist training, having articles for use in terrorism and preparation of terrorist acts.

They also pleaded guilty to having a gun in suspicious circumstances.

They will serve half of their sentences in prison, with the remainder spent on supervised licence when they are released.

The charges arose from a covert police operation at Formil Wood, near Omagh, in March 2012.

The prosecution said the wood was being used as an improvised firing range to train dissident terrorists.

A legally held rifle belonging to Gavin Coney was being used to assess its capability for training purposes.

The two brothers were arrested along with another man and a woman who were also at the wood.

They will be sentenced on Friday.

Judge David McFarland said society in Northern Ireland was plagued by people clinging on to acts of terrorism despite the wishes of the majority of people north and south of the border.