District Judge Nigel Broderick granted bail to a 29-year-old woman from Newtownbutler who was arrested on Saturday, August 10 after 10 suspected petrol bombs had been found in a shed in her garden.

Joanne Ralph, with an address of Mill Hill Road, Newtownbutler, appeared at Fermanagh Magistrates Court today, Monday, where police objected to her bail.

A police officer told the court that one of the lines of enquiry being investigated was whether the petrol bombs were intended to be used at a Royal Black Preceptory parade in the Newtownbutler area.

As part of her bail conditions Mr. Broderick stated that Ralph should not go within “100 metres of any band parade or loyal order parade”.

The police officer told the court that police were also investigating the possibility that the petrol bombs could be “linked to a drug feud”.

The court heard that police stopped a car in Dungannon which Ralph was driving and that they detected a smell of cannabis from the car.

The defendant, along with two passengers, were searched, as was the car with two quantities of suspected cannabis found, one in a bag belonging to the defendant and one in a compartment of the car.

It was then revealed that at a subsequent search of the defendant’s property, 10 suspected petrol bombs were found.

Answering a series of questions from Mr. Broderick, the police officer told the court that the suspected petrol bombs were made up of beer bottles with a rag in it and that they were “ready to be ignited and used”.

The court heard that upon arrest the defendant denied any involvement and said that a variety of people had access to her house and shed.

The police officer stated that the suspected petrol bombs “were ready for use and that the likely use for them was to cause a civil disturbance”.

Mr. Broderick asked if the shed in the garden was locked at the time of the discovery to which the police officer said he could not confirm if it was or not.

Defending Barrister, Ciaran Roddy, asserted at this point that the shed had not been locked.

The court heard that the accused has no previous convictions of note and that the suspected petrol bombs had been sent for forensic investigation.

Mr. Broderick stated that he would grant bail stating that it appeared that there was no lock on the shed door, that the defendant had a young child and that forensic investigations could take some time to complete.

Police then stated that they were concerned given that several parades were planned in the Newtownbutler area.

In response, Mr. Broderick issued a bail condition stating that Ralph was not to go within 100 metres of any band parade or loyal order parade.