Special Criminal Court convicts Belfast man

A Belfast man who rammed two garda vehicles to escape arrest near the border was sentenced to five years imprisonment by the Special Criminal Court in Dublin today for having a loaded pistol.

Barry Petticrew, a 38-year-old father of two and native of Belfast, with an address at Station Road, Randalstown, Co Antrim, pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of a Browning 9mm semi automatic pistol and 10 rounds of ammunition at Dundalk Western bypass, Ballynahattin, Dundalk on May 17 last year.

Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding, said the court would suspend the final 18 months of the five years sentence because Petticrew had given an undertaking on oath that he would not be involved in crime in the future.

Detective Garda Charlie Geoghegan told the court that gardaí tried to stop a Ford Transit van driven by the accused as it headed towards the border on the M1.

The van failed to stop and collided with two garda vehicles before it was eventually brought to a halt and Petticrew was arrested.

Gardai found the Browning pistol with a loaded magazine in the passenger door. Petticrew told gardaí during interviews that he was paid 500 pounds sterling to deliver the gun to a bar on the Falls Road in Belfast. He said he "needed the money".

He said that he believed he was delivering the gun for a drug dealer. Petticrew denied during questioning that he had anything to do with either the IRA or the INLA.