Trevor Byrne jailed for nine years over loaded firearm

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

Trevor Byrne was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment at the Special Criminal Court on 21 December 2020. The proceedings were reported on 21 December 2020.

Byrne pleaded guilty to possessing a loaded 9mm Luger-caliber Radom 35 firearm at a house in Woodford Grove, Clondalkin, Dublin, on 15 November 2019. He had initially denied the charges and was six days into his trial when his barrister asked for him to be re-arraigned.

The trial heard that the Emergency Response Unit raided the house and found Byrne in a cabin behind it. A subsequent search found the gun beneath a couch, with five bullets in its magazine and one in the chamber.

Byrne had been informed by gardaí of an enduring, credible threat to his life. His barrister, Conor Devally SC, said Byrne had the gun for his own protection and had fled Ireland in 2016 because of a threat to his life.

Three other charges involving possession of ammunition and €3,050 in cash that Byrne was reckless towards, believed to be, or knew to be the proceeds of crime were taken into consideration at sentencing. Presiding judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt backdated the sentence to November 2019, when Byrne was taken into custody.