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Construction worker was off his meds when he fired shots from his home
Summary
Robert Carroll, 40, a construction worker from Finglas, Dublin, was sentenced at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possession of a firearm and ammunition in suspicious circumstances. He pleaded guilty to both charges, with an offence of money laundering taken into consideration. The court heard that on August 16, 2022, Carroll fired two shots from a revolver into the air while experiencing psychosis and not compliant with medication. He was arrested under the Mental Health Act after a 75-minute standoff. Judge Sarah Berkeley initially remanded Carroll into custody in November but released him on bail a week later to allow for further mental health assessments. Today, the judge set a pre-mitigation headline sentence of five years, which was reduced to three years after hearing mitigation. This sentence was suspended in full. The judge noted Carroll's positive probation report, low risk of reoffending, and engagement with psychiatric services. Carroll has 21 previous convictions, with the most recent in 2019. He was found to have a Smith and Wesson revolver, one live round, and €10,050 cash in his home. The judge emphasized his rehabilitation efforts and family support, concluding that custody would be detrimental to his mental health progress.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Construction worker was off his meds when he fired shots from his home. Charges or matters: possession of a firearm in suspicious circumstances contrary to section 27a of the Firearms Act; possession of ammunition in suspicious circumstances. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- August 16, 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2019 and 2022 Incident
- 2025-10-06 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: possession of a firearm in suspicious circumstances contrary to section 27a of the Firearms Act; possession of ammunition in suspicious circumstances (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: She said the court required further information about his mental health issues and treatment between 2019 and 2022 and about the circumstances relating to the money laundering offence before the sentence could be finalised.; After hearing facts in November last, Judge Sarah Berkeley initially remanded Carroll into custody, but released him on bail a week later.
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