Courts / Dublin / Report
Jail for threatened man who kept loaded shotgun in his bedroom
Summary
Darren Mullarney, 41, of Fortlawn Park, Blanchardstown, was sentenced by Judge Melanie Greally at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five years' imprisonment for unlawful possession of a sawn‑off shotgun. The gun, loaded with two cartridges, was found in his bedroom wardrobe during a Garda search on 25 May 2018. Mullarney pleaded guilty and claimed he kept the weapon because of a "real threat to his life" from a serious member of the criminal fraternity, citing a prior shooting on 8 May in which he was wounded. The judge accepted the prosecution's statement of threat, set a headline sentence of seven years, but suspended the final 18 months, citing mitigating factors such as Mullarney's cooperation, early plea and insight into the seriousness of his offence. The sentence was back‑dated to 25 May 2018, when he entered custody.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Jail for threatened man who kept loaded shotgun in his bedroom. Charges or matters: unlawful possession of a sawn-off shotgun at his home on May 25, 2018. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- May 25, 2018 Incident
- May 25 Incident
- May 8 Incident
- 2018-12-20 Publication
Why: By Brion Hoban A man who kept a loaded sawn-off shotgun in his bedroom because of a "real threat to his life" has been sentenced to five years. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: unlawful possession of a sawn-off shotgun at his home on May 25, 2018 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Passing sentence today, Judge Melanie Greally sentenced Mullarney to five years in prison but suspended the final 18 months given what she said were the "very exceptional" circumstances of the case. She set a headline sentence of seven years but reduced this because of substantial mitigating factors including Mullarney's high level of cooperation, his early plea and his insight into the serious nature of his offence.
Places mentioned
- Fortlawn Park
- Blanchardstown
- Dublin
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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