Angry scenes followed the jailing of a Dublin man in the Central Criminal Court yesterday when relatives of two murder victims had to be restrained.
Mark Desmond (27) was jailed for eight years after a jury unanimously convicted him of unlawful possession of firearms with intent to endanger life. He had been charged with the double murder of Darren Carey (20) and Patrick Murray (19) but the DPP dropped the charges the day the trial was due to begin. Yesterday, the State entered a nolle prosequi in respect of the murders.
Desmond (27) had pleaded not guilty to unlawful possession of three shotguns, one rifle and one 12-gauge shotgun cartridge with intent to endanger life at Lally road, Ballyfermot between October 1st, 1999, and February 17th, 2000. However, after 2½ hours, the jury unanimously found him guilty on all four counts.
As the guilty verdict was read out, relatives clapped and cheered while others shouted: "You murderer." Another shouted: "I hope Darren comes back and haunts you," while others openly wept.
Mr Justice McKechnie later jailed Desmond to eight years for possession with intent to endanger life and four years for unlawful possession. Relatives screamed: "You murdering pig, murdering pig". Another roared: "You're only brave with your guns in your hand. Two children dead over your drug involvement."
Desmond, smiling, replied: "Eight years. I'll do it on my back."
Mr Justice McKechnie said he took no account of allegations during the trial of Desmond's alleged involvement in drugs and the murders. After sentencing, prison officers brought him out through a door normally reserved for the jury.
Relatives of the dead men, who were waiting in the corridor, tried to lunge at Desmond and had to be forcibly restrained by gardaí.
Patrick Murray (19) and Darren Carey (20) were shot in the head in suspected drug-related killings and their bodies dumped in the Grand Canal at Karneystown, Co Kildare, between December 29th, 1999, and January 10th, 2000.
During the murder investigation, Jonathan Desmond told gardaí that his cousin showed him a cache of firearms in the back garden of a house at Lally Road in early December 1999.
He said the two men who were later killed had travelled to Amsterdam with Mark Desmond when he was buying heroin and arranging to have it brought back to Dublin.
Gardaí raided the house on foot of Jonathan Desmond's statement and recovered two shotguns, one long rifle, one unused shotgun cartridge and three discharged cartridges.
The judge said he could find no circumstances to justify any reduction in the sentence. He backdated it to June 12th, 2000, when Desmond was taken into custody.Desmond had sacked his legal team before the trial and defended himself throughout the case.