Courts / Dublin / Report

Haulier 'couldn't say no' to storing handgun ammo

Date
2020-11-10

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

Tony Hunt, 47, was sentenced to two years in prison after the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court found he had no choice but to hold 198 rounds of 9mm Parabellum ammunition. The bullets were moved from a wheelie bin into the spare wheel well of his car when the bins were due for collection. Gardaí discovered the package during a random stop after seeing the car leave a known drug dealer's home in Kildare. Hunt initially claimed the ammunition belonged to a deer‑hunting colleague, later admitting he had been told a package would be left in his bin for 24 hours but did not know its contents. He pleaded guilty to possession of the rounds, which were mainly used in semi‑automatic handguns. Judge Pauline Codd suspended the final three years of a five‑year sentence, requiring Hunt to keep the peace for the entire period. Hunt's only prior conviction was for possession of stolen property in 2004.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Haulier 'couldn't say no' to storing handgun ammo. Charges or matters: possession of 198 rounds of 9mm Parabellum calibre bullets at Celbridge on August 1, 2018. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

August 1, 2018 Incident
2020-11-10 Publication

Why: Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Tony Hunt (47) had moved the bullets from a wheelie bin into his car because his bins were due for collection. Court evidence reported by CNI