Convicted murder and gambling addict helped move sub-machine gun

Two men pleaded guilty in the Special Criminal Court to unlawful possession of a RAK PM-63 submachine gun recovered during a garda operation on the N11 in Shankill, Dublin on 7 March 2020. Robert Redmond, aged 35, and Jamie Gray, aged 27, were charged under the Firearms Act 1964. Evidence revealed that Redmond and co-accused Bernard Fogarty transferred the firearm to a driver in Clondalkin, with Gray directing operations via text messages from a separate location in Bray where he had met with the others. The weapon, deliberately reactivated after prior deactivation, bore no serial number. Redmond is serving a life sentence for murder; Fogarty was previously sentenced to life for the same offence and five years for separate firearm possession. Gray has 91 previous convictions, mostly traffic offences. In mitigation, his counsel noted his long-standing gambling addiction, recent employment, and rehabilitation efforts at Coolmine Therapeutic Lodge. The Director of Public Prosecutions assessed the matter at mid-range seriousness. Mr Justice Paul Burns remanded both men in custody pending sentencing on 24 July.