Sarah Jane Byrne jailed for four years over firearms offences

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

Sarah Jane Byrne was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment by the Special Criminal Court for possessing a pistol and ammunition. The court also imposed a four-year-and-four-month sentence, with the final 12 months suspended, for possessing a shotgun and submachine gun at her home. The sentences are to run concurrently.

The judge said the weapons found at Byrne’s home were serious firearms and cited their potential impact on communities. In mitigation, she noted Byrne’s guilty plea, cooperation, difficult personal circumstances, ongoing rehabilitation and role as a mother to a young child. The court heard she had no previous convictions.