Three appear in court following 'premeditated' attack on US plane at Shannon Airport

Members of the Defence Forces tasked to protect a US military aircraft at Shannon airport drew their weapons briefly in response to an alleged “planned and premeditated” airport incursion by three pro-Palestinian activists, a court has heard.

At a special late-night sitting of Ennis District Court on Sunday, Detective Garda Colm Moriarty said a US military was damaged when it was allegedly spray painted with green paint from a modified fire extinguisher on top of a modified van in a taxi area on the airfield at Shannon airport on Saturday morning.

Two men and a woman appeared before Judge Marie Keane to face charges arising from the incident.

They are Kaspar Aiden Cantwell Strattra, aged 23, of Manorlands Crescent, Trim, County Meath; Emily Cathcart, aged 23, of North View, Knocknagin Road, Balbriggan, County Dublin and Conan Kavanagh, aged 23, who has addresses at New Cabra Rd, Dublin 7 and at St Joseph’s Drive, Montenotte, Cork.

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At the outset, Detective Garda Moriarty said one of the accused - Mr Cantwell Strattra replied that “the use of Shannon airport by the US military breaks Irish neutrality. The US is a belligerent power complicit in the genocide of Palestinians” when he was charged.

In the case, the three defendants are charged with causing criminal damage to the main body of a Boeing 737-700 belonging to the US Navy Reserve at Shannon Airport on November 22.

They are also charged with causing criminal damage to Shannon Airport airside vehicle barrier and with trespass at the main apron and taxi-way 11 at Shannon Airport on the same date.

Outlining the State case against the three, Det Garda Moriarty said it will be alleged that at around 9.30am on Saturday a Ford Transit van entered the apron at Shannon Airport after crashing through the exit barrier at speed.

“There were three persons in the van - they drove along the runway airside to taxi 11 at speed where there was a US military plane parked overnight where An Garda Siochána and the Defence Forces were providing protection for this aircraft," he alleged.

He added: “The van was pursued by airport police and was stopped at the side of the parked US aircraft. Members of An Garda Siochána called for assistance from the Defence Forces..... the Defence Forces had their weapons drawn briefly until the situation was under control. The Defence Force members assisted An Garda Siochána in apprehending the suspects."

The detective said it will be alleged the three suspects “had secured themselves into the van by modifying the van by putting chains and barriers in the doors and the windows”. 

He told the court that two suspects were in the rear of the van adding that it will be further alleged that there was a hole in the roof of the van for a ladder that allowed persons to come out of top. 

He said that while members of An Garda Siochána and the Defence Force members were attempting to enter the van, it will be alleged that two suspects in the rear of the van came out through the roof of the van and sprayed green paint from a modified fire extinguisher onto the plane damaging the aircraft.

During the 75-minute bail hearing, Detective Garda Moriarty said gardai and the Defence Force members required the assistance of the airport fire brigade service to saw open the back of the van to gain entry into the van.

Gardai later seized a number of tools from the scene including a battery console, spray paint bottles, a lump hammer and a fire extinguisher with green paint and a number of heavy duty bicycle locks with chains.

Detective Garda Moriarty said it is the State case that the strength of evidence is extensive in the case and that the three accused were allegedly “caught red-handed”.

He said it will be alleged incursion was “planned and premeditated”.

Judge Marie Keane, who was shown CCTV footage of the incident, was told the airport had to be shut down for 30 minutes and that one incoming aircraft was placed in a holding pattern before the airport could re-open.

Detective Garda Moriarty said that as a result of the incident there were numerous foreign debris parts strewn across Taxi area 11 and this could potentially have had catastrophic effects for other aircraft.

Opposing bail, he said he believes further more serious charges will be brought in the case.

Commenting on the criminal damage charge relating to the aircraft, Judge Keane commented: “I have no knowledge of the cost of painting an aircraft but I can only assume that it is tens of thousands of euros if not more and there is an alleged injured party here and from signage on the plane it is an American owned plane.”

Judge Keane added: “There is an alleged victim in all of this in addition to the whole security issue”.

She noted that Shannon Airport is governed by the Air Navigation Act and that security at Shannon airport is "essential to the security of the State as a whole and is not to be taken separately”.

Each of the accused were granted legal aid and solicitor Tara Godfrey was assigned to represent them.

Judge Keane remanded all three defendants in custody with consent to bail on condition that they each stay out of County Clare and that they do not enter any other airport within the State.

If they achieve bail, they must sign on at their local garda stations and not engage in any other protests at airports.

In the cases of Mr Kavanagh and Ms Cathcart they are to provide independent sureties of €10,000 each to be approved by the court and Mr Cantwell Stratta provide a cash lodgement of €5,000.

Ms Godfrey said that Mr Cantwell Stratta’s mother was in court if required to give evidence to support the bail application.

Judge Keane remanded all three in custody with consent to bail to appear before Ennis District Court via video-link this Tuesday.