Man jailed for nine years for firearms possession
A man found with a Glock pistol in his sock and a shotgun hidden behind a toilet in his home has been sentenced to nine years by Judge Tony Hunt at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Richard Brady (aged 21), who has four previous convictions including one under the firearms act for carrying a knife, told gardaí his life was in danger and he was involved in the “Driminagh feud” through people he knew.
Brady, of Mourne Road, Drimnagh, pleaded guilty to possession of semiautomatic pistol at Crumlin Road, Crumlin and possession of a modified sawn off shot gun with a silencer at Mourne Road on March 21, 2009.
Judge Hunt suspended the final four years for six years on strict conditions including one year's probation supervision. He also ordered the forfiture and destruction of the guns.
Garda Mark Doran told Mr Ronan Kennedy BL, prosecuting, that he was on mobile patrol in Crumlin at 2am when he observed three youths and formed a suspicion that Brady, who was known to him, was carrying drugs.
He saw one of the youths throw something under a car and when it was retrieved it was found to contain two rounds of ammunition. He searched Brady and found a pistol in his right sock with a bullet in the breech.
Brady told gardaí his life was in danger and he had the gun for his own protection.
Gda Doran said a number of houses were searched including Brady’s home. During the first search of his home they found a spent bullet at the foot of the stairs and during a follow up visit they found a sawn-off shotgun with a silencer hidden behind a toilet.
The firearms were examined by ballistics experts and found to be in good working order. The serial number of the Glock pistol found in Brady’s sock had been deliberately removed.
Brady told gardaí he had taken tablets, “D10s” and wine on the night and could not remember where he got the pistol. He said his life was in danger from persons unknown, that his house had been attacked and he had received death threats in notes through his door and by word of mouth.
Gda Doran said gardaí had no record of these incidents being reported
Brady later told gardaí that he was involved in the “Driminagh feud” through people he knew and had the gun for protection. He subsequently said that he had been asked to deliver the gun to a certain point for payment. He said he had not been intending to shoot anyone.
In a later interview he denied knowing the people he had been with when arrested and said he did not recognise the Glock pistol when shown it by gardaí claiming “it could have been swapped for one used in a murder.”
In his final interview Brady told gardaí he was not in debt and not involved in the feud. He said he was bringing the Glock pistol from “A to B” and confirmed he had been hiding the shotgun in his house.
Gda Doran agreed with defence counsel, Mr Breffni Gordon BL, that Brady’s ill mother said her son had been caring for her and that the family were very respectable people.
Gda Doran agreed with Mr Gordon that although Brady was involved in drugs and affiliated to one side in the feud he was out of his depth holding firearms.
Mr Gordon said his early family circumstances were extremely difficult and his father, who he alleged was violent, had left the family home when he was a teenager.
He asked the court to take into account Brady's remorse and early guilty plea.
