John O'Donoghue and Paul Whelan jailed for gun offence

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

John O'Donoghue and Paul Whelan were jailed at the Special Criminal Court on 15 July 2019 for possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life. The offence occurred at Park Road, Limerick, where armed gardaí stopped their car and found a loaded handgun.

O'Donoghue received 11 years and Whelan 10 years and six months, with both sentences backdated to 13 July 2018. The court also imposed five-year sentences on each man for possessing a firearm and ammunition in suspicious circumstances. Justice Tara Burns said the evidence showed the pistol was ready for immediate use and that the only irresistible inference was an intention to endanger life.