Courts / Dublin / Report

Chronic addict hid machine gun in parent's attic

Summary

Lorcan Merriman, a 21‑year‑old Dubliner, was sentenced to five years in prison for unlawful possession of a semi‑automatic machine gun and ammunition that he had hidden in his parents' attic. He admitted that he had agreed to hide the weapon to pay off a drug debt. The gun was found to be functioning and had been altered for criminal use, and it was accompanied by working ammunition. Judge Melanie Greally initially imposed a headline sentence of ten years but reduced it to five years, citing Merriman's age, chronic drug addiction, early guilty plea, and the support of his parents who attended the hearing. The case was assessed by the Director of Public Prosecutions as falling in the higher range of firearms offences, with a presumptive mandatory minimum of five years, which the court upheld. The judge noted that the weapon's purpose was for the commission of criminal offences and potentially serious harm or death.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Chronic addict hid machine gun in parent's attic. Charges or matters: unlawful possession of a firearm at Lealand Close on May 28, 2016. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• May 28, 2016 Incident
• 2018-07-05 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report