Anthony Carroll and Brian Walsh guilty of gun possession

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

Anthony Carroll and Brian Walsh were found guilty of possessing two loaded handguns at the Special Criminal Court on 11 April 2014.

The proceedings were reported on 12 April 2014.

They had pleaded not guilty to the unlawful possession of a Walther pistol, a Smith & Wesson revolver and 12 rounds of ammunition. The charges concerned Deanrock Avenue, Togher, on 23 February 2013.

The non-jury court heard that gardaí found the loaded handguns inside a pencil case discovered in a van the men were stopped in. Evidence was heard that Brian Walsh was the driver, while Anthony Carroll was found on the floor in the back, separated from the driver’s compartment by black plastic.

Both men were wearing forensic suits. Mr Justice Paul Butler said the circumstances of their arrests, particularly their presence in the same van dressed in a “similarly striking manner”, satisfied the court that each knew of the other’s presence and that they were jointly involved in an enterprise including the firearms and ammunition.

Brian Walsh was remanded in custody for sentencing on 9 May 2014. Anthony Carroll was remanded to Cork District Court because, the report said, he was serving a four-month suspended sentence imposed by that court.