Gavin Blanchfield gets suspended sentence for ammunition offences

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Gavin Blanchfield was given a six-year sentence, suspended in full, by Judge Martin Nolan on 30 January 2023. The proceedings were reported on 30 January 2023.

Blanchfield pleaded guilty to eight counts of possessing ammunition, bullet heads, cartridges, gunpowder and primers without the correct firearm certification at his Tallaght home on 20 July 2019.

Judge Nolan ordered the items forfeited and destroyed. He said avoiding prison had been a “close run thing” and that Blanchfield’s lack of previous convictions and the mitigation in the case had saved him from prison.

The report said police work revealed that Blanchfield had been selling untraceable ammunition to third parties on the internet. Judge Nolan accepted Blanchfield’s explanation that he had contacts in the gun-owning community and planned to sell to them for lawful use. The judge said it seemed he had no sinister purpose, such as selling to criminal forces.

Garda Josh Doran agreed with defence counsel Oisín Clarke that Blanchfield had provided legitimate information on the public boards.ie forum and that the firearms found were legally held. Clarke said Blanchfield had lost his corporate job but had since completed training and returned to work.