Charlene and Dan Donovan jailed over shotgun offences

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

Charlene Donovan and Dan Donovan were each jailed for five years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court by Judge Martin Nolan. The proceedings were reported on 23 November 2018.

Both pleaded guilty to possessing a shotgun with intent to endanger life and recklessly discharging a firearm. Dan Donovan also pleaded guilty to threatening to kill or cause serious harm to Michael Collins. The offences occurred at Parslickstown Gardens, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15, on 12 December 2017.

Detective Garda Michael Parry Jones told the court that Charlene Donovan fired the first shot across the road. It injured a 17-year-old man, a six-month-old boy in his arms and the boy’s mother. Dan Donovan then took the gun from his daughter, threatened to “bury” Mr Collins and accidentally discharged it into the ground by his feet.

The detective said the baby had undergone surgery to remove shotgun pellets from his legs and was awaiting further surgery to remove five remaining pellets. The child’s mother said in a victim impact report that he could walk but was in constant pain.

The court heard that shots had been fired through the Donovans’ kitchen window. The detective accepted that two men from the rival family were physically imposing, violent and intimidating. Judge Nolan said there was a history of dispute between the families and accepted that the Donovans were in fear on the day.