Man jailed for 10 years for firearms and drugs offences

A Dublin man has been jailed for 10 years after he pleaded guilty to firearms and drug offences.

Jason Gaynor (aged 31) of Bluebell Road, Bluebell pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of €66,000 worth of heroin with intent to supply at Hynes Road, Walkinstown on July 30, 2009.

Gaynor pleaded to a further charge of possession of a sawn-off shotgun on the Greenhills Road on March 25, 2010.

The court also heard of an incident at the Cottage Inn pub carpark in Bluebell on September 9, 2010 where Gaynor recklessly discharged a firearm.

Garda Pat Fagan, of Crumlin Garda Station, told Judge Yvonne Murphy on the morning of July 30, 2009, he and a colleague executed a warrant to search an address in Walkinstown

Gaynor was found asleep in a locked upstairs bedroom and following a search of the room, 442.7 grammes of heroin, valued at €66,000, was uncovered.

Gaynor was arrested, admitted responsibility, was charged and released on bail

Detective Garda Jonathan O’Leary, said that between 10am and 12 noon Gaynor was observed in a car park opposite the Ulster Bank in Walkinstown.

Det Gda O’Leary said gardaí were of the belief Gaynor was monitoring the movements of a bank employee due to collect a sum of cash at that branch valued between €4,000 and €7000.

Gaynor was observed leaving the carpark and following the bank employee in the direction of the Naas Road and into an industrial estate.

When gardaí stopped Gaynor’s vehicle they found a sawn-off shotgun, woollen hat and woollen gloves.

Detective Garda Paul Lynch of Crumlin Garda station said that on the evening of March 23, 2010 he was called to the carpark of the Cottage Inn, Bluebell following reports of a gunshot.

The court heard that Gaynor was in the pub following a funeral when two strangers became embroiled in an argument.

Gaynor initially tried to act as peacemaker but became enraged, went to his car, fetched a shotgun and fired it into the ground close to the arguing pair. Nobody was injured in this incident.

Mr Sean Gillane SC, defending, asked Judge Murphy to take into account the fact his client committed the offences while in the grip of a drug addiction and since then has addressed his addiction and was using his time in prison to good effect

Judge Murphy said that given the serious nature of the offences she had no choice but to hand down a substantial sentence.

She said as Gaynor has previous similar convictions dating back to 2002 and committed two of the offences while on bail, she was obliged to hand down a minimum of 10 years.

She sentenced Gaynor five years on each count with the first and second to run consecutively and the third to run concurrent.