'Promising footballer' caught with shotgun cartridges
A teenager with "promising prospects" for international football who was caught with 19 shotgun cartridges has received a one year suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is "of the kind of calibre that could play for Ireland", defence counsel, Mr Breffni Gordon BL, said but added: "That would be easy enough considering their current form."
The teenager, who was 15 years old at the time of the offence, pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of the gun cartridges on North Circular Road on October 5, 2005.
Judge Katherine Delahunt said that a probation report before the court was very positive and indicated that although the teenager had got into more trouble since the offence, he seems to have come out the other side and is now in full time employment.
She said that she believed he didn't understand the seriousness of the crime and suspended the prison term on condition that he keep the peace and be of good behaviour for two years.
Detective Garda Paul Tallon told Mr Luán Ó Braonain, BL, prosecuting, that the teenager hid behind a van after throwing away a plastic bag containing the cartridges. He initially denied any knowledge of the bag but later claimed he found it in a lane way while out walking his dog.
He had six previous convictions, including possession of drugs for sale or supply and unauthorised interference with a car, that were all dealt with in the Children Court and post-dated this offence.
Det Gda Tallon agreed with Mr Gordon that he was aware that his client was a talented footballer who played with O'Devaney United juniors and that coaching staff there described him as having "very promising prospects" and someone who could play for the Irish soccer team.
He trained three times per week with his football club and coaches an under-10s team.
Mr Gordon described the boy as "a young decent man with a very, very bright future" and who was also "a good support" to his seriously ill mother.
