Ciaren Maxwell, a celebrated royal marine, was a Catholic boy who was beaten up by Irish Unionists in Northern Ireland. In adulthood, the respect accorded his regiment and patriotic work it did were not enough it seems to outrank ties of blood and religion to an Irish terrorist gang dedicated to killing police. Maxwell used his training and access to explosives and equipment to construct bombs for the terrorists. Monday he was sentenced to 23 years in prison but the penalty seems unlikely to erase the mistrust sown by his conduct.
