Gardaí examine loaded shotgun dumped in bin

GARDA ballistics experts are examining a loaded sawn-off double-barrel shotgun, found dumped in a bin on the southside of Cork city, to see if had been fired in previous crimes.

However, a senior garda yesterday ruled out that it was the same gun used in a recent raid on the Bank of Ireland branch in Glanmire. CCTV footage taken from the scene of that robbery showed that weapon to be a different type of shotgun.

And gardaí already know that the weapon which killed suspected drug dealer Darren Falsey in Carrigaline on August 3 last was a 9mm handgun, which was probably fitted with a silencer.

Gardaí believe that a patrol car operating in the Togher area last Wednesday night may have disturbed some criminals who decided to dump the shotgun in a bin, returning once the gardaí had left the scene.

Gardaí had been alerted by a caller who had seen two men wearing balaclavas acting suspiciously in the Pouladuff area.

However, the criminals failed to return for the weapon and the bin was taken to a recycling centre at Forge Hill, where the discovery was made.

“We believe the shotgun was probably dumped in the bin around midnight last Wednesday. It is most likely the bin was collected from estates off the Pouladuff Road area, Plunkett Road or Killeenreendowney,” a Garda spokesman said.

He said it wasn’t clear what the men intended to do with the shotgun, although it was possible they intended to carry out some type of armed robbery.

* Information to Togher Garda Station at [phone].