THE COURT of Criminal Appeal has reserved judgment on an appeal by a man against his conviction for conspiring to procure weapons, including rocket launchers, for a criminal gang alleged to be “shopping” for weapons from prison.
Glen Geasley (28), Innishmore Drive, Ballincollig, Co Cork, was jailed for 12 years in February 2008, with five years suspended, after the weapons were recovered by a covert Garda operation at the Ibis Hotel, Dunkettle, Cork, in April 2007, following a joint operation with the British police.
The trial was told the weapons were intended for the Dundon gang in Limerick to wage war on their enemies in a feud in the city.
The weapons haul included two RPG 7 rocket launchers, five AKM assault rifles, five AR 15 semi-automatic assault rifles, two Uzi sub-machine guns, three 9mm Smith and Wessons, two 9mm Brownings and five 9mm Sig Saurs semi-automatic pistols.
Geasley initially denied three charges of conspiracy to possess weaponry and one charge of attempting to possess the weaponry between February 22nd and April 20th, 2007. He subsequently pleaded guilty to a single charge of conspiring with others to possess the firearms.
Arguing that the conviction was unsafe, Pádraig Dwyer SC, for Geasley, said his client was denied access to relevant material and not tried in accordance with law. He argued that a ruling by the trial judge that material generated during the investigation and before February 22nd, 2007, was privileged, had denied his client the opportunity to defend himself.
Mr Dwyer said the bulk of the evidence against Geasley was telephone traffic intercepted by SOCA, the British Serious Organised Crime Agency and the Garda.
The defence had pleaded entrapment and sought to test the legality of the evidence gathering techniques but was frustrated due to the trial judge’s ruling the material was privileged.
Tom O’Connell SC, for the DPP, argued that Geasley has “no sustainable appeal.” His trial was told he was arrested followed a joint operation between gardaí and SOCA when it was learned that a criminal gang in Ireland was “shopping” for weapons from inside one of the country’s prisons.