Garda feared for safety during raid, court told

A Limerick detective told the Special Criminal Court today that it was an "extremely" dangerous task to raid a house in the city where gardaí suspected there were firearms, ammunition and explosives.

The court has been told that gardaí found ammunition, a hand grenade and Semtex in the bungalow when they raided it last year.

Detective Garda Kevin Donoghue said that he was wearing body armour and had his pistol drawn when he entered a bungalow at Sarsfield Court in the Garryowen area last November.

The Detective Garda told defence counsel Mr Anthony Sammon SC that he was the first garda to enter the house after the front door was broken down and he was followed by a number of other gardaí.

"I was concerned for my own safety and the for the safety of anyone who was in the house," he added.

Detective Garda Donoghue said that he shouted out: "Armed gardaí" at the front door to the house and again when he was inside the house, at the door of the sitting room.

He said that he kept his gun pointed at the accused man Bullman who was in the sitting room until Bullman had his hands on the wall, when he holstered his gun and searched him.

Detective Garda Donoghue denied a suggestion by Mr Sammon that he was "mistaken or wrong" in his earlier evidence that he had seen Bullman holding a green military style bag which he then dropped when gardaí entered the room.

It was the second day of the trial of James Bullman, aged 38, of St Ita St, St Mary's Park Limerick who has denied the unlawful possession of 283 rounds of assorted ammunition, a smoke hand grenade and the explosive substance PETN and RDX(Semtex) at Sarsfield Court, Garryowen, Limerick on November 6 last year.

The trial is continuing.