Courts / Dublin / Report

"Mr Nobody" gets 11.5 years for minding cartel arsenal

Date
2019-07-15

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Rathcoole

County
Dublin

Summary

Declan Brady, 53, of Celbridge, Co Kildare, was sentenced to 11-and-a-half years imprisonment by the Special Criminal Court for possessing an arsenal of firearms and ammunition in suspicious circumstances. Brady, known as 'Mr Nobody', pleaded guilty to possessing nine revolvers, four semi-automatic pistols, a sub-machine gun, an assault rifle, and 1,355 rounds of ammunition at a fake business premises in Rathcoole, Co Dublin. The court found he was in overall charge of the cache, which was assembled to support organised crime. His headline sentence of 14 years was reduced due to his timely guilty plea, lack of relevant previous convictions, and good behaviour in custody. The final year of his sentence was suspended on condition he enters a good behaviour bond. The sentence was backdated to January 24, 2017. Two co-accused, Jonathan Harding, 45, of Sallins, Co Kildare, and James Walsh, 33, of Clondalkin, Dublin 22, were previously sentenced to 10 years and nine years imprisonment respectively, with the final year of each sentence suspended. The court noted that Brady received instructions from senior criminal figures abroad to maintain the weapons, which were found ready for imminent use during a surveillance operation.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: "Mr Nobody" gets 11.5 years for minding cartel arsenal. Charges or matters: possessing nine revolvers, four semi-automatic pistols, a sub-machine gun, an assault rifle and 1,355 rounds of ammunition in suspicious circumstances at Unit 52, Block 503, Grants Drive, Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, Co Dublin. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

January 24, 2017 Incident
January 24 Incident
January 2016 Incident
January 2017 Incident
2019-07-15 Publication

Why: In order to incentivise Brady's rehabilitation while in custody, Mr Justice Coffey, who sat with Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge David McHugh, suspended the final year on condition Brady enter into a good behaviour bond for the suspended period. CNI source report

Case subjects

Declan Brady

Convicted Person

Charges: possessing nine revolvers, four semi-automatic pistols, a sub-machine gun, an assault rifle and 1,355 rounds of ammunition in suspicious circumstances at Unit 52, Block 503, Grants Drive, Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, Co Dublin (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Brady, with an address at The Park, Wolstan Abbey, Celbridge, Co Kildare, "supervised and was in overall charge" of the "arsenal", according to the three-judge court, which sentenced him to 11-and-a-half years imprisonment with the final year suspended today. The fact Brady was in "overall charge" of the cache required the court to fix a headline sentence of 14 years, where the maximum available sentence is 14 years.

James Walsh

Convicted Person

Outcome: James Walsh (33), with an address at Neilstown Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 were sentenced to 10 years and nine years imprisonment respectively, with the final year of each sentence suspended.

Jonathan Harding

Convicted Person

Outcome: Jonathan Harding (45) of McNeill Court, Sallins, Co Kildare, and James Walsh (33), with an address at Neilstown Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 were sentenced to 10 years and nine years imprisonment respectively, with the final year of each sentence suspended.