Courts / Dublin / Report

Suspended sentence for man who had shotgun in bedroom

Summary

In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 13 July 2016, Shane Byrne, aged 28, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in his home between 1 and 7 March 2012. Gardaí, acting on a search warrant, entered a house in Castleknock that Byrne shared with his older brother, Michael. Byrne led officers to his bedroom where a shotgun was found tucked under an armchair. A second shotgun and a quantity of drugs were also seized. Byrne claimed the gun had been left there by his brother and that he had no involvement in the illegal items. The court noted that Byrne had no prior convictions. Judge Melanie Greally ruled that the shotgun was not Byrne's property, attributing responsibility to his brother. She imposed a three‑year sentence, suspended in its entirety, and highlighted the harm firearms pose to society.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Suspended sentence for man who had shotgun in bedroom. Charges or matters: one count of possessing a firearm in his home between March 1 and March 7, 2012. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• March 1 Incident
• March 7, 2012 Incident
• 2016-07-13 Publication

Why: Seoirse Ó Dúnlaing BL, defending, said the shotgun was only in Byrne's bedroom because his brother put it there. Defence account reported by CNI

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Firearms Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report