Gardaí probe granting of firearms cert

AN internal garda inquiry into the handling of the murder and suicide that cost the lives of two young farmers in Co Carlow will probe why the killer was granted a firearms certificate when complaints had been made about his threatening behaviour.

Michael Kehoe, 39, used his legally held shotgun to shoot dead his neighbour, James Healy, 30, before turning the gun on himself on September 3 following a long-running dispute over land ownership.

A senior garda yesterday confirmed that local gardaí had been contacted about Mr Kehoe's behaviour towards other people in the area on a number of occasions prior to the incident. In spite of this, he was not refused a gun licence by his local station when it came up for annual renewal.