Sentence for having explosives and handgun is upheld

A 24-year-old man from County Tipperary has had his sentence upheld after appealing a conviction relating to the possession of explosives and a firearm. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal against the six-year custodial sentence, with the final year suspended, imposed by the Special Criminal Court. The man pleaded guilty to possessing a .380 calibre semi-automatic pistol and ammunition, as well as two improvised explosive devices discovered in a vehicle stopped in County Leitrim in May 2015. The devices were found following a traffic stop after the car had left a filling station without paying for fuel. The Court of Appeal heard that carrying the firearm and explosives in furtherance of an illegal organisation constituted a serious offence. President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice George Birmingham confirmed the mandatory minimum sentence of five years for firearm possession was appropriately applied.