Courts / Dublin / Report

Probation Act for man who shot burglar at elderly father's farm

Date
2016-07-29

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Martin Nolan applied the Probation Act to Richard Lowndes (51), of Inniskeen, Co Monaghan. Lowndes pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of unlawful possession of a shotgun without a firearms certificate at Kilsallaghan on April 12, 2012. The original charge of reckless discharge was dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The court heard that Lowndes, a long-distance haulage driver and father of five, used his elderly father's legally held shotgun to pursue a burglar. Judge Nolan noted his sympathy for rural dwellers at risk of burglary but warned Lowndes against acting while upset. Separately, the report details the prior sentencing of Matthew Fahey (36), previously of Finglas. Last year, Fahey received a six-year sentence with four years suspended after pleading guilty to the burglary at Kilsallaghan and another at Milrace, Rolestown, Swords, on the same date. He also admitted to a spate of burglaries and car thefts between January 2010 and April 2012, with 61 previous convictions mainly for theft, burglary, and stealing cars.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Probation Act for man who shot burglar at elderly father's farm. Charges or matters: a lesser offence of unlawful possession of a shotgun without a firearms certificate at Kilsallaghan on April 12, 2012. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

April 12, 2012 Incident
January 2010 Incident
April 2012 Incident
2016-07-29 Publication

Why: He said because of his own farming background he had great sympathy for rural dwellers who were at risk of being burgled. CNI source report

Case subjects

Matthew Fahey

Defendant

Charges: a lesser offence of unlawful possession of a shotgun without a firearms certificate at Kilsallaghan on April 12, 2012 (Alleged Or Contested)

Outcome: Last year Fahey, previously of Cappagh Road, Finglas received a sentence of six year sentence with four suspended after pleading guilty to the burglary at Kilsallaghan and to another one at Milrace, Warrenbrook, Rolestown, Swords on the same date.

Richard Lowndes

Defendant

Charges: a lesser offence of unlawful possession of a shotgun without a firearms certificate at Kilsallaghan on April 12, 2012 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty