A ballistics expert criticised prosecution evidence about a garda flash-bang grenade as preposterous, requiring the kind of chance that would see one winning the lottery twice in a row

A man who denied an attempted aggravated burglary while armed with a shotgun was seen at the scene of the crime by an armed member of the Garda Regional Support Unit, a judge and jury was told yesterday.

The lawyer for a man charged with carrying a pump-action shotgun during an attempted aggravated burglary accused a garda of telling great lies in the witness box as the officer said he clearly saw the defendant at the crime scene.

A gangster whose meticulously-planned raid on a safe in a businessman’s home was thwarted by armed gardaí with grenades and helicopter support has been jailed for 12 years.