Two years for man who possessed Kalashnikov ammunition and burnt Northern sterling

Burnt Northern sterling was found after a chimney fire in Passage West, Co Cork, prompting a follow-up search where live ammunition for a Kalashnikov assault rifle was found and today the householder was jailed for two years.

Judge Con Murphy said that having 220 live rounds for such an assault rifle was a very serious offence and he sentenced Don Blaney (aged 51) of Cnoc Abhainn, Old Church Road, Passage West, to two years.

Blaney was convicted last November following a five-day trial and six hours of deliberation by the jury. Blaney continued to maintain his innocence, it emerged today at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Inspector Mary King said yesterday that the investigation commenced following a call to gardaí that two Northern sterling notes – one partially burnt – had been found in the garden neighbouring Blaney’s house and that a chimney fire had been seen there the previous night.

A warrant issued under the Offences Against the State Act was executed by Sergeant Peter Quinn and in the search of Blaney’s home the ammunition was found in a lunchbox in an upstairs desk.

Judge Murphy said the actual type of the ammunition exacerbated the offence.

Noting that the maximum sentence was 10 years he cited several mitigating factors, namely the absence of any previous conviction, his age, his cooperation with the probation service, his low risk of re-offending, his excellence as a parent, neighbour and family man.

Several friends and family members gave character evidence in which he was variously described as trusting, honest, decent, very informed, stoic, interesting, naïve and eccentric.

His brother, John Gerard Blaney, deputy headmaster of St. Mary’s Catholic primary school in Birmingham said his brother, Don, who came to Ireland in 1990 was concerned with humanitarian causes, abhorred violence and was involved in Amnesty International.

John Gerard Blaney said the family had relatives in the RUC and that the defendant would certainly not raise arms against Ireland. He described the conviction of his brother for having ammunition as totally wrong and unjust.

Don Blaney’s daughter, Siobhán Blaney, said: “I have been blessed my entire life to have him, I am proud beyond words that I was raised by this man, he is someone I wish I could emulate more. I cannot accept my dad was involved in anything subversive.”