Man found with gun jailed for two years

A Clondalkin man seen running with a submachine gun in a black plastic bag has been jailed for two years by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

David Bailey, aged 36, of Lindisfarne Green, pleaded guilty to possession of a Parabellum Sterling sub-machine gun and 13 rounds of 9mm ammunition near his home on September 13, 2003.

Garda Brendan Breen told prosecuting counsel, Ms Roisin Lacey BL, that he was on duty in the Lindisfarne area with a colleague in an unmarked patrol car when they observed Bailey running from his house with a black plastic bag in his hand.

Garda Breen said they saw him stop at another house on the same street and leave the bag against the black railings outside it.

They approached him, identified themselves as gardaí and enquired about the contents of the bag.

"I don’t know what you are talking about, I was just taking a pi**," Bailey replied. Later, however, he admitted to possession of the gun and its ammunition.

Bailey refused to tell gardaí when interviewed by them how he had the gun. He said he hadn’t been living in the house very long at that time.

Mr Roderick O’Hanlon SC, for Bailey, told Judge Desmond Hogan his client was an alcoholic and suffered from chronic depression which prevented him from being in gainful employment.

He was on disability benefits and lived alone in a council house, Mr Hanlon said.

Judge Hogan noted that Bailey had pleaded guilty at the earliest possible opportunity and there had also been no evidence to show that he had intended to use the gun.