A man described as the Lurgan pipe bomb ‘delivery boy’, who lost half his hand in a premature explosion, has been sentenced to nine years in prison today.
Ryan Treanor, of Victoria Gardens, Lurgan, was sentenced at Craigavon Crown Court following an explosion in the Enniskeen area of Craigavon in 2020.
The 26-year-old was sentenced to nine years in total; four years and six months imprisonment and four years and six months on license after pleading guilty to possessing an explosive substance with intent to endanger life.
Treanor has been linked to a crime gang known as ‘The Firm’, which has been connected to the murders of loyalist Malcolm McKeown in 2019 and Shane Whitla, who was shot dead in Lurgan earlier this month.
Prosecuting counsel Robin Steer told a court hearing last Friday that people living near the scene of the incident heard a “loud bang” at around 9.30pm on December 1, 2020.
The intended victim, a career criminal who has been targeted in other bomb attacks and an attempted shooting, was not home at the time, but his mother and her grandchildren were.
When she looked out through her curtains, she saw “a man in dark clothing [with] his hands badly injured”.
Police Detective Sergeant Best, speaking on the sentencing, said: “Today’s sentencing is the result of a complex investigation by officers from the Police Service’s Criminal Investigation Department into an explosion in Craigavon on December 1 2020. It should send a clear message to those involved in violence – we will vigorously pursue those responsible to bring them before the courts to face the consequences of their actions.
“We will continue to combat the threat posed by those who plan to use violence to further their agendas. We remain committed to making Northern Ireland safer for everyone.”
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