Arms dealer loses appeal over handgun

A LICENSED arms dealer has been banned from owning a handgun legally held by hundreds of Irish marksmen but which has been described in court as an "extremely dangerous" weapon.

Judge Kevin Kilrane described dealer Gavin Murray (25) as "an upright and decent man" but turned down his appeal against a ban on owning a Heckler and Koch USP Custom Sport gun that fires 9mm-calibre parabellum ammunition.

The judge said at Donegal District Court: "It is an extremely dangerous weapon. Gangsters and criminals would give their right arm to have one of them."

He added: "It would be my hope that legislation would be introduced absolutely banning all hand-held side-arms of this nature from individuals."

Mr Murray, Drimark, Donegal town, appealed against a refusal by Supt John Dennedy to grant him a licence for the gun.

The judge's ruling on Wednesday came as Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern said he will be introducing a new ban on handguns, although small-calibre sporting pistols will be excluded.

Supt Dennedy said he refused a licence under powers authorising him to exercise his discretion. He was concerned Mr Murray did not have good reason for owning the firearm. He agreed Mr Murray held certificates for other firearms but his concerns about this particular gun related to its compactness, ease of concealment and its potential danger to the public.

Mr Murray, who was recently ranked fourth in a national shooting contest, said he travelled the country, for competitions.

Judge Kilrane said: "There is plenty of hostile territory from here to Cork. A large number of people would be fully aware he has the firearm and is transporting it. The risk of him being robbed of it is very, very high given the present state of the country and the times in which we live, with robberies, with violence and, worse, death on the streets."

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times