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Third Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Set Fire to Galway Mosque

Courts described the offences as hate‑aggravated, with sentencing set for October, the related explosives prosecution stayed pending a High Court ruling.

Overview

  • Karolis Peckauskas pleaded guilty in the Special Criminal Court on Monday and was remanded in custody over an attempt to set fire to the Maryam Mosque in Galway between 4 and 5 November 2025.
  • Two co‑accused, Darren Gorman and Garrett Pollock, previously pleaded guilty to the same terrorism offence and will join Peckauskas at a sentencing hearing scheduled for October 2026.
  • All three men who have pleaded guilty admitted their crimes were aggravated by hatred, a factor the court has noted and that can influence sentencing under the terrorist‑offences framework.
  • Peckauskas faces a separate explosives charge that has been stayed while he pursues a High Court challenge arguing the wording of the Explosives Act unfairly shifts the burden of proof onto him.
  • A fourth defendant, Charles Flynn, remains charged and had his case adjourned to July; observers should watch the October sentencing and the High Court ruling for how they affect remaining prosecutions and penalties.