Courts / Louth / Report
Louth man jailed for five years for handgun possession
Summary
Patrick McDonagh, 50, of Dundalk, was sentenced by the Special Criminal Court to five years' imprisonment for unlawful possession of a .32‑calibre Baikal semi‑automatic pistol. He pleaded guilty to the offence on 10 June 2013, when the weapon was found in the boot of a black Volkswagen in Castlebellingham. McDonagh was also charged with membership of an unlawful organisation, the IRA, but the DPP entered a nolle prosequi and the charge was not pursued. The judge noted McDonagh's good character, his early guilty plea and his previous conviction for possession of explosives, which had been increased to ten years on appeal and resulted in his release in 2005. The sentence was back‑dated to 1 February 2014 for time already spent in custody. The court considered mitigating factors such as his strong work ethic and family responsibilities, and the judge imposed a sentence of five years, the statutory minimum for the offence.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Louth man jailed for five years for handgun possession. Charges or matters: the unlawful possession of a .32 inch auto (7.65mm) calibre IZH 79-8 model Baikal make semi-automatic pistol bearing serial number TPB358706 at Main Street, Castlebellingham, Co Louth on June 10, 2013. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- June 10, 2013 Incident
- February 1, 2014 Incident
- April 1999 Incident
- 2014-02-18 Publication
Why: Mr Justice Butler said his admissions were pertinent because he was not holding the weapon at the time he was stopped by gardai and noted his early plea of guilty. CNI source report
Case subjects
Accused
Charges: the unlawful possession of a .32 inch auto (7.65mm) calibre IZH 79-8 model Baikal make semi-automatic pistol bearing serial number TPB358706 at Main Street, Castlebellingham, Co Louth on June 10, 2013 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He was sentenced to five years imprisonment and it was backdated to February 1, 2014 for time spent in custody. Mr O'Higgins asked for as lenient a sentence as appropriate and asked the court to consider the seven-year gap before McDonagh reoffended.
Places mentioned
- Special Criminal Court
Topics
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