Sam Power given three-year sentence for shotgun possession

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

At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Sam Power received a three-year sentence, with the final 18 months suspended, for possession of a sawn-off shotgun. Power, 31, was from Cushlawn Park, Tallaght. The charge concerned possession at his parents-in-law’s home on 30 April 2015. He pleaded guilty to the charge.

The court heard on 4 August 2016 that the gun belonged to his missing brother-in-law and that Power was not using it for unlawful purposes. The proceedings were reported on 8 August 2016.

Fearghal Kavanagh SC, defending, said the gun was never loaded and there was no evidence Power knew how to use a firearm. He said Power accepted keeping it was “a foolish thing to do” but may have retained it because his family were under threat.

Judge Sarah Berkeley said she took account of Power’s personal circumstances, particularly his missing brother-in-law and the ongoing threat to his family, as well as his early guilty plea and co-operation with gardaí. However, she said the sawn-off shotgun was “a serious weapon which should have been handed over”.