Three people were have been cleared by a Belfast court of funding an IRA gun smuggling ring in Florida over five years ago.
Belfast Crown Court judge Mr Justice Girvan said he had reached the conclusion he could not be sure that that 30-year-old Maria Brogan, Patricia O’Kane, 29, and Seán Burns, 29, knew they were sending money to America to buy guns and ammunition.
He told the court that after “careful consideration,” the Crown had not satisfied him “beyond a reasonable doubt” that the three had “knowledge of the intended purpose” of the money they sent to the States.
The judge said that “accordingly, the court must acquit each defendant” of the charge of facilitating terrorist funds between January and July 1999.
Mr Justice Girvan added that he would “follow as closely as possible” the practice of the jury system and would therefore not give reasons for the acquittals.
As he cleared the trio Ms Brogan, from McCamphill Park in Dunloy, gave a sharp intake of breath and put her hands to her face while all three received hugs and handshakes from friends and family in the public gallery after they were acquitted.
The three had always denied the charges against them, maintaining their claims that they had been used and duped into sending more than £60,000 stg to America.
During the trial Mr Justice Girvan had heard that that following investigations in the US, four people were arrested and convicted of gun smuggling - Conor Claxton, 32, O’Kane’s partner Martin Mullan, 35, Anthony Smyth, 48, and Siobhan Browne, 35.
However, the US authorities are still hunting for Ms Brogan’s brother Michael after the authorities in the UK and US uncovered 90 guns, 82 magazines for use with AK47 assault rifles and 1066 assorted bullets hidden in posted packages.