Alan Wilson jailed for 10 years over firearms offence linked to murder plot

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Alan Wilson was sentenced at the Special Criminal Court to 10 years in prison for a firearms offence and seven-and-a-half years for conspiracy to murder. Ms Justice Tara Burns ordered the sentences to run concurrently from 15 December 2021, refusing to backdate them or suspend any part.

The proceedings were reported on 15 December 2021. Wilson pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder persons unknown on 26 July 2010. He also pleaded guilty to possessing a .38 calibre Smith & Wesson revolver and a .32 calibre Zastava semi-automatic pistol between 24 and 26 July 2010 in circumstances giving rise to the reasonable inference that he possessed them for an unlawful purpose.

The conspiracy led to a shooting outside the Player’s Lounge pub in Dublin on 26 July 2010. Wilson had pleaded not guilty to the attempted murders of Brian Masterson, Wayne Barrett and Austin Purcell there. Those charges were dropped after the Director of Public Prosecutions entered a nolle prosequi.

The judge said Wilson acquired firearms and vehicles for the planned murder. None of the three men shot were the intended targets; two suffered lifelong injuries, including significant brain damage to Mr Barrett.

The report said Wilson was allegedly heard on surveillance recordings admitting to the shooting. His counsel, Mr Dwyer, said the alleged claim was bravado. Counsel also asked the court to consider the harm Wilson had suffered from being accused of murdering Marioara Rostas, whose murder he was found not guilty of in 2014.