Courts / Dublin / Report

Garda feared for life and fired shot after "hit team" member drove at him

Date
2020-01-20

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

Owen Cummins, 41, of Cabra, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to possessing a Beretta 92s handgun and silencer in suspicious circumstances on September 6, 2017. The court heard that gardai, acting on intelligence regarding a potential hit in Ballyfermot, pursued a Citroen Berlingo van driven by Cummins. After a collision, Cummins fled in a Hyundai Tucson jeep, driving directly at Garda Stephen Gillespie, who was restraining passenger Andrew O'Keeffe. The garda discharged his firearm to dissuade the vehicle, which subsequently struck a parked Volkswagen Passat. Cummins then abandoned the jeep. O'Keeffe, 30, previously pleaded guilty to possessing the firearm and was sentenced in August 2018 to nine years' imprisonment, with one year suspended. Cummins, who has 68 previous convictions, was represented by Michael O'Higgins SC, who described him as a former heroin addict acting as a driver under instructions. The matter was adjourned, with Mr Justice Tony Hunt scheduled to sentence Cummins on March 3.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Garda feared for life and fired shot after "hit team" member drove at him. Charges or matters: possessing a Beretta handgun and silencer two years ago; possessing a firearm, namely a Beretta 92s handgun and silencer in such circumstances as to give rise to a reasonable inference that he had not got it in his possession for a lawful purpose at Jamestown Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8 on September 6, 2017. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

September 6, 2017 Incident
September 6th, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
June 2018 Incident
August 2018 Incident
March 3 Other
2020-01-20 Publication

Case subjects

Andrew O'Keeffe

Convicted Person

Plea: Guilty

Owen Cummins

Accused

Charges: possessing a Beretta handgun and silencer two years ago; possessing a firearm, namely a Beretta 92s handgun and silencer in such circumstances as to give rise to a reasonable inference that he had not got it in his possession for a lawful purpose at Jamestown Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8 on September 6, 2017 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: At a sentence hearing for Cummins in the Special Criminal Court this morning, Caroline Cummings BL, for the State, put it to Detective Superintendent Dave Gallagher that on September 6th, 2017, gardai had "confidential information" that several men were actively targeting another person in Ballyfermot, Dublin 10. Mr Justice Tony Hunt will sentence Cummins on March 3.