Limerick man pleads guilty to importing imitation guns

A SECURITY breach on board a flight bound for Shannon airport was detailed yesterday after a Limerick man admitted to placing two imitation handguns and ammunition in his luggage.

The imitation 9mm five-shot revolver Magnum 38 and 6mm Kinar handguns, and two boxes of imitation ammunition, got past airport security at Palma airport in Majorca on May 16th last year and were placed in the hold of the Shannon-bound flight.

In court yesterday, Frank Brennan (46), O’Malley Park, South Hill, Limerick, was given a three-month suspended jail term after he pleaded guilty to four separate offences under the Firearms Act for importing the weapons without a licence into Ireland.

Mr Brennan imported three machete swords on the same flight, but faced no charges in relation to those as he told gardaí they were for display purposes.

The ammunition Mr Brennan imported consisted of 50v9mm blank calibre cartridges and 200x 6mm blank calibre cartridges.

In court yesterday, Insp Tom Kennedy of Shannon Garda station said customs official Frank Ryan stopped and searched Mr Brennan’s luggage after coming off the Majorca flight.

Insp Kennedy said Mr Brennan told gardaí the guns were for display purposes, and gardaí accepted that there was no ulterior motive and that Mr Brennan intended to use the weapons as ornaments.

However, Insp Kennedy told the court Mr Brennan would have been in a position to modify the weapons so they could fire a round of ammunition.

Insp Kennedy said Mr Brennan has a number of previous convictions, including a five-month jail term for possession of an article with intent to cause injury in 2004.

Jenny Fitzgibbon for Mr Brennan said her client was returning from holiday in Majorca where he had purchased the guns.

She said: “There was no attempt by Mr Brennan to conceal what he calls ‘cowboy guns’, and that he had them in his duffle bag when his luggage was searched.”

Ms Fitzgibbon said Mr Brennan made a full admission to gardaí when he was arrested.

She continued: “Mr Brennan was taking the guns home to put them over the mantelpiece in a glass case as ornaments. He was quite shocked over the incident when he stopped at Shannon. The State doesn’t believe there is any ulterior motive.”

Mr Brennan is a widower, has three children, is on disability and has a history of illness, she added.

Ms Fitzgibbon said Mr Brennan was very sorry for the inconvenience caused, and was only bringing back the guns as souvenirs.

Judge Joseph Mangan sentenced him to a three-month suspended sentence and fined him €500.