HC Deb 20 July 1976 vol 915 cc474-7W
Mr. Townsend

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons have been convicted, and for what terms of imprisonment such persons have been sentenced, in Northern Ireland for the following offences since 1969; conspiracy to murder, offences under Sections 18, 20, 28, 29 and 30, respectively, of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, and offences under Sections 14, 15, 16, 17, and 19A, respectively, of the Firearms Act (Northern Ireland) 1969.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

The available information in respect of convictions and custodial sentences for offences dealt with as scheduled offences is as follows:

Custodial sentences imposed (excluding suspended sentences)
Number Convicted More than 3 years Imprisonment 6 months to 3 years More than 6 months Detention in Young Offenders Centre Borstal Training School
1974 1975 1974 1975 1974 1975 1974 1975 1974 1975 1974 1975 1974 1975
Conspiracy to Murder:
Conspiracy etc. to murder (S. 4,1861 Act) * 6 * 1 * — * — * 1 * — * 4
Assisting offender in a case of murder (S. 4, Criminal Law (N.I.) Act 1967) * 3 * 3 * — * — * — * — * —
Wounding:
Wounding with intent to do GBH (S. 18, 1861 Act) 18 — 10 — 1 — — — — — — — — —
Causing explosion (S. 28 and 29, 1861 Act) 57 — 54 — 3 — — — — — — — — —
Placing explosives (S. 30, 1861 Act) — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Possessing firearms with intent (S. 14, 1969 Act) 85 84 57 67 16 5 — — — 7 — 3 3 —
Use of firearm to prevent arrest (S. 150), 1969 Act) 6 3 1 3 1 — — — — — — — 1 —
Malicious Wounding:
Causing GBH (S. 20, 1861 Act) 2 18 — 11 2 3 — — — — — 11 — 1
Possessing firearm (S. 13, 1969 Act) — 1 1 1 — — — — — — — — — —
Carrying firearm with intent (S. 16, 1969 Act) 54 19 17 12 25 4 2 1 — — 2 2 2 —
Other Indictable Offences:
Other major firearms offences (S. 3, 4, 17 and 19a, 1969 Act) 254† 259 30† 30 127† 115 1† — 3 7† 10 5† 2
Minor firearms offences (S. 1,2 and 19, 1969 Act) 2 — — — — — —
* Figures for persons convicted of conspiracy to murder are not available for 1974.
† Figures for 1974 do not distinguish between "other major firearms offences" and "minor firearms offences"

I regret that some of the details requested are not readily available, nor at present are figures for previous years; this information could be obtained only to disproportionate cost.