Convicted murderer back in jail for gun possession

A Dundalk man who was jailed for life for a murder in 1992 and released on licence was jailed for 10 years by the Special Criminal Court in Dublin today for having a pistol and ammunition last year.

Eugene Kelly (aged 43), Ashling Park, Cox's Demesne, Dundalk, Co Louth was convicted last week of the possession of a 9mm parabellum calibre Glock semi-automatic pistol and 50 rounds of 9mm parabellum calibre ammunition at Castletown Rd, Dundalk, Co Louth on July 19 last year.

Detective Garda Charlie Geoghegan told the court today that Kelly was convicted at the Central Criminal Court in April, 1992 of the murder of publican Cecil Black who was tied up during a robbery and died from his injuries.

He said that Kelly had served 15 years of the life sentence but was released on licence in March 2007.

The Detective Garda told Kelly’s counsel Mr Diarmaid Mc Guinness SC that the murder was "a horrific criminal case but there were no subversive connections".

The court heard that a man arrested along with Eugene Kelly, Thomas Kelly, pleaded guilty to the same offences last May and was sentenced to five years' imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended.

Jailing Kelly for 10 years, Mr Justice John Mac Menamin said that the court had taken into account that Kelly had not pleaded guilty but had fought the case "tooth and nail".

The judge said that the court had considered imposing the maximum sentence of 14 years but considered that 10 years was the appropriate sentence.

During the trial the court heard that gardaí observed two cars in the car park of a pub at Castletown Road.

Kelly, who was a passenger in a Toyota Yaris car, was observed being handed a mobile phone box by a man from an Audi car.

When gardaí stopped both cars they saw the mobile phone box in the footwell area of the passenger side of the Toyota Yaris.

Gardaí told the court that they could clearly see an automatic pistol and a box of ammunition in the box and Kelly was arrested.