Man fined €400 in Carlow court for possessing an air socket gun
Carlow Courthouse Photo: Michael O'Rourke.
A 20-YEAR-OLD man was fined €400 at Carlow District Court after he pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm after gardaí found it in the boot of his car. Luke Flynn pleaded guilty to possessing the firearm at Prumplestown, Castledermot on 10 January this year.
Judge Geraldine Carthy heard that gardaí stopped Mr Flynn’s Audi at that location and found an air socket gun in the boot. Solicitor Chris Hogan said that those types of air guns were legal in the UK, where Mr Flynn had been living for nine years, and that he didn’t know that it was illegal to have one in Ireland.
When Mr Hogan put it to the prosecuting garda that his client was a “decent young fella”, the garda agreed and added that although he hadn’t met Mr Flynn before, he was “aware of his extended family”.
Mr Hogan told Judge Carthy that Mr Flynn, of Linton Close, Wellington, Greater London, England, was 19 years’ old at the time of the offence, that he was in a “vulnerable” condition and that his family were in court to support him.
Judge Carthy convicted and fined the defendant €400 for illegally possessing a firearm.
However, gardaí objected to granting Mr Flynn bail on other alleged offences of theft and dangerous driving, so she remanded him on continuing custody until tomorrow’s (Wednesday) sitting of Carlow District Court, where he is to appear via videolink.
