Ryan Kelly jailed for firearm and ammunition possession

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

Ryan Kelly was jailed for six years at the Special Criminal Court after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Kelly, of Captain’s Road, Crumlin, Dublin 12, admitted possessing a .38 special calibre Smith & Wesson revolver at Captain’s Road on 23 November 2021. He also pleaded guilty to possessing five rounds of .38 special calibre ammunition on the same occasion. The proceedings were reported on 8 April 2024.

At that sentencing hearing, Detective Garda John Rourke said Kelly had been seen dropping an item into a taxi driven by Anthony Walker. The item proved to be the revolver, which was found loaded in the taxi’s footwell after gardaí stopped Walker. Walker told gardaí he had no idea he was carrying a gun when it was handed to him and only realised during the trip what it was.

Kelly was later intercepted as a back-seat passenger in a Volvo with three other people. The report said all four had burner phones. Prosecuting counsel said DNA on the cloth in which the revolver was wrapped matched Kelly’s profile.

Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC said Kelly was deeply ashamed and wanted to apologise to the court, gardaí and his family. Mr Justice Paul Burns, presiding with Ms Justice Sarah Berkeley and Ms Justice Marie Keane, remanded Kelly in custody until 22 April, when he was scheduled to be sentenced.

Kelly had also been charged with participating in or contributing to activity capable of facilitating a serious offence by a criminal organisation. The DPP’s counsel previously told the court that the State would enter a nolle prosequi, a decision not to proceed, on that charge.