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Gangland criminal gets 15 years for running amok with machine gun
Summary
Derek Devoy, 37, was sentenced by the Special Criminal Court to 17 years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, for a series of violent offences committed on 11 March 2019. He admitted possession of a 9mm Makarov PM63 RAK submachine gun with intent to endanger life and of a Yugoslavian M75 hand grenade with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury. Devoy discharged the gun twice in public and again while being restrained by Gardaí in a bathroom, narrowly missing a garda's head. A hand grenade was found on the floor without its safety mechanism; it was later detonated in a controlled explosion, rendering the house uninhabitable. The court noted Devoy's 27 previous convictions, including two firearm offences, and his personal history of family tragedy. He pleaded guilty to all charges, which led to a 15 % discount on the headline sentence of 20 years, resulting in the 17‑year term.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Gangland criminal gets 15 years for running amok with machine gun. Charges or matters: two charges under Section 19 of the Public Order Act for assaulting Garda Conor Garland and Sergeant Andrew O'Connor in the execution of their duty at Cranogue Road, Ballymun, Dublin 11 on the same date; possessing an explosive substance, to wit a Yugoslavian M75 hand grenade with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to a property at Cranogue Road, Ballymun, Dublin 11 on the same occasion. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- March 11, 2019 Incident
- March 11 2019 Other
- June 22 Incident
- March 11 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2020-07-24 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: two charges under Section 19 of the Public Order Act for assaulting Garda Conor Garland and Sergeant Andrew O'Connor in the execution of their duty at Cranogue Road, Ballymun, Dublin 11 on the same date; possessing an explosive substance, to wit a Yugoslavian M75 hand grenade with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to a property at Cranogue Road, Ballymun, Dublin 11 on the same occasion (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: In mitigation, the judge noted that Devoy had wisely entered pleas of guilty and as a result imposed a straight discount of 15 percent from the headline sentence. Mr Justice Hunt, sitting with Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Dermot Dempsey, sentenced Devoy to 17 years imprisonment with the final two years suspended on count one, backdated to March 11 2019, when he went into custody.
Places mentioned
- Special Criminal Court
- Balbutcher Lane
- Poppintree
- Ballymun
- Dublin
- Cranogue Road
- Doon
- Cranogue Road
- Crannoge Road
- Doon
- Crannogue Road
- and taken to Ballymun Garda Station
- Ballymun
Topics
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