On 19 March 1999 McGinn was sentenced to a total of 490 years ' imprisonment for 34 separate offences , including the murder of three British soldiers , and involvement in the 1992 bombing of the Baltic Exchange , the 1996 Docklands bombing , and the bombing of Hammersmith Bridge later the same year . He laughed at his sentence , knowing that he would be freed , at most , in shortly over a year under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement . Two months after his conviction McGinn was temporarily released on compassionate grounds to visit his sick mother , which caused anger and consternation among unionists . On 28 July 2000 , McGinn was freed from HM Prison Maze , after serving 16 months
1996 Docklands bombing
1996 Docklands bombing
Bernard Henry McGinn