Convicted murder and gambling addict helped move sub-machine gun

Two men have been sentenced at the Special Criminal Court for their roles in transferring a reactivated submachine gun during a Dublin-based criminal operation in 2020. Robert Redmond, aged 35, received six years' imprisonment, while Jamie Gray, aged 27, was sentenced to five years and three months, with the final year suspended for three years, following guilty pleas to firearms offences under the Firearms Act 1964. The RAK PM-63 submachine gun was recovered from a vehicle stopped on the M11 southbound at Shankill on 7 May 2020. The court heard the weapon had been deliberately reactivated after prior deactivation and bore no serial number. Evidence indicated that Redmond and a third party, Bernard Fogarty, transferred the firearm to a driver in Clondalkin, with Gray coordinating aspects of the operation through text messages from Bray where he had met with the other participants. Justice Paul Burns determined that neither defendant intended to use the weapon themselves; rather, they had sourced it on behalf of others. The judge assessed the matter at mid-range seriousness regarding firearms offences. Redmond carries 97 previous convictions and is currently serving a life sentence for murder. Gray has 91 prior convictions, predominantly for traffic offences. In mitigation, Gray's counsel highlighted his long-standing gambling addiction, his recent employment, and his engagement with Coolmine Therapeutic Lodge as evidence of rehabilitation efforts. The court acknowledged these factors in determining sentence. Fogarty, the third person involved in the operation, was separately sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and an additional five years for firearms possession related to a different matter. The case originated from a garda operation centred on organised crime activity and reflects the court's continued focus on the supply and movement of illegal firearms within criminal networks operating across the Dublin region and beyond.