A suspected former member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) was sentenced to six years in prison by a German court on Tuesday for his role in the foiled bombing of a British army base here 17 years ago.
The court said it was clear that Leonard Joseph Hardy (45) had taken part in the bombing of the Quebec barracks in Osnabrueck, in western Germany, in June 1989.
Prosecutors had told the court in the northern town of Celle that Hardy had ”intended to kill as many British soldiers as possible”.
Hardy, who has British and Irish nationality, had pleaded guilty to the charge of attempted murder and preparing an attack with explosives.
A total of 120kg of Semtex explosives was planted at the barracks, but the bombs were discovered at the last minute when a civilian employee surprised two of the suspected attackers.
One bomb exploded, causing extensive damage, but there were no casualties.
Hardy was arrested in the Spanish resort of Torremolinos in August but was released and fled to the Republic of Ireland.
He turned himself in to German authorities in January.
Four accomplices were sentenced to jail sentences of up to ten years in 1995. — Sapa-AFP