Courts / Dublin / Report
Addict who agreed to move guns and ammunition is jailed
Summary
Stephen Keenan, aged 31, was sentenced to six‑and‑a‑half years in prison for four counts of unlawful possession of two handguns and bullets, and for stealing a car on 24 October last year. The firearms were found in a rucksack on Casement Drive, Finglas, and were in working order, capable of firing lethal ammunition. Keenan admitted he had agreed to hold the guns for "dangerous people" to whom he owed a €50,000 drug debt, and that he still owed €5,000. He claimed the debt pressured him into the crimes, though he had previously served a suspended sentence for a similar offence in 2015. The judge noted Keenan's drug addiction and his attempts at rehabilitation, but imposed the statutory mandatory minimum of five years, back‑dating the sentence to October 2017. The case was heard at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Stephen Keenan pleaded guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Addict who agreed to move guns and ammunition is jailed. Charges or matters: four counts of unlawful possession of two handguns and bullets at Casement Drive, Finglas, Dublin on October 24 last year; stealing a car which was found parked on Casement Drive on the same day. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- October 24 Incident
- March 2015 Other
- October 2017 Other
- 2018-05-11 Publication
Why: Keenan told gardaí that he agreed to hold a gun because he had racked up a €50,000 drug debt seven years earlier and was still trying to clear it. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: four counts of unlawful possession of two handguns and bullets at Casement Drive, Finglas, Dublin on October 24 last year; stealing a car which was found parked on Casement Drive on the same day (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Keenan, of Casement Drive, Finglas, Dublin received suspended sentences in March 2015 after pleading guilty to having an imitation firearm during a robbery of an off-licence in Finglas. He imposed a sentence of six-and-a-half years, backdated to October 2017 when Keenan went into custody.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Casement Drive
- Casement Drive
- Dublin
Topics
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