'Violent criminal' jailed for 10 years

A 24-year-old Limerick man described in court as an "evil violent criminal" has been jailed for 10 years for his part in a shooting outside a christening party.

Damien Quinn, Ballygrennan Close, Moyross, Limerick, was convicted by a jury at Limerick Circuit Court last month, of having a shotgun in his possession with intent to endanger life at Sarsfield Gardens, Moyross on May 1st 2005.

The 24-year-old, who denied the charge, was also found guilty of two further charges of having the weapon in suspicious circumstances and to assaulting 35-year-old Thomas Leamy causing him harm on the same date.

During the trial, the court heard that Mr Leamy was shot twice in the back outside a house where his baby niece's christening party was taking place.

At the sentencing hearing today, Judge Carroll Moran it was "divine providence" that Mr Leamy did not suffer serious injury in the "appalling" attack.

According to medical evidence, Mr Leamy's injuries were not life-threatening but the potential was there for "grievous bodily harm", he added.

During the trial it was the prosecution's case that Damien Quinn had encouraged his younger brother Matthew to shoot Thomas Leamy.

Matthew Quinn, also with an address at Ballygrennan Close, Moyross, Limerick, was jailed for six years yesterday after he pleaded guilty to two separate charges arising from the same incident.

The 22-year-old Matthew Quinn admitted having a shotgun in his possession with intent to endanger life, and also to having two machetes in his possession with intent to cause injury on May 1st 2005.

Before sentencing the two brothers Judge Moran said that while Matthew Quinn had fired the two shots he accepted that his older brother Damien had urged him to do so by shouting: 'Shoot him' and 'Shoot him you missed' on two occasions.

During the trial Det Garda David Bolger gave evidence that Matthew Quinn had been acting under the direction of his older brother Damien, whom the garda witness described as a violent criminal.

"I believe that Damien Quinn is a violent and evil criminal in Limerick city and gardai regard him as a serious threat," said the garda witness.

The court heard previously that Damien Quinn - who has six previous convictions - was sentenced to six years in prison for an armed robbery when he was just 17 years old.

Before imposing the ten year sentence today, Judge Moran said it was "hard to imagine anything more appalling" than somebody using guns to endanger a life.