Man who kept loaded handgun under mattress is jailed

A father-of-two who had a loaded gun under his mattress for his “own protection” has been sentenced to eight years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Larry Cummins (aged 42) of The Green, Beaumont Woods, pleaded guilty to possession of a Baikal semi-automatic handgun at his home on December 10, 2010. He also pleaded guilty to possession of seven rounds of .32 automatic ammunition at the same address on the same date.

Detective Inspector Patrick Marry told Shane Costello BL, prosecuting, that the gun was found under Cummins’s mattress following a search at his home. He immediately admitted he owned the gun and that it was loaded.

He told gardaí “It’s mine. I got a lend of it. I got it for my protection. It’s loaded.”

He also told gardaí his wife and two daughters “knew nothing” about the gun.

Det Insp Marry told Mr Costello he would not accept that there was a threat on Cummins’s life.

“We investigated whether the alleged threat was true and we have never been informed of any threat and our intelligence tells us there is no threat either,” said Det Insp Marry.

Giollaiosa O Lideadha SC, defending, said Cummins, who has 30 previous convictions, including two for firearms possession, still asserts there are threats against his life and said his cousin was shot several years ago.

“He made immediate admissions to gardaí about concealing the weapon and it is clearly a case that gardaí don’t accept the threat but it’s the only evidence before the court,” said Mr O Lideadha.

Judge Patrick McCartan said Mr Cummins' situation “is all of his own making.”

“He has already served a lengthy term for possession of a firearm yet he has not learned a lesson,” said Judge McCartan.

“His past record leads me to believe he is not under threat. I don’t know what he hopes to achieve or what example he is setting his daughters but one hopes the day will come when he will turn his hand to something different,” he said before suspending the final two years of the term.