Courts / Dublin / Report

Young man who thought he'd bought torches online made "horror" discovery

Summary

Ryan Kelly, 21, bought items he thought were torches from Wish.com, intending to sell them for holiday money. The devices were described as "shock devices" and "torches with an electric shock," but Gardaí discovered they were illegal stun guns. He pleaded guilty to importing firearms without a licence in May 2018. The court noted he had no prior convictions and that he was a hard‑working young man. Judge Karen O'Connor applied the Probation Act, preventing a conviction from being recorded, and placed him on a one‑year bond to keep the peace. He had been dismissed from his job when the offence became public, but after Sgt Darren Colleran explained the circumstances to his employer, he was reinstated.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Young man who thought he'd bought torches online made "horror" discovery. Charges or matters: importing firearms without a licence on an unknown date in May 2018. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• May 2018 Incident
• 2019-06-28 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

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Read the original CNI report