Fingerprint of Dublin IRA accused on shotgun bag, court hears

The fingerprint of a Dublin man accused of membership of the IRA was found on a plastic bag used to wrap a sawn-off shotgun, his Special Criminal Court trial has heard today.

Sean Farrell (aged 27), of Kilfenora Road, Crumlin, has pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation within the State namely Oglaigh na hÉireann, otherwise the Irish Republican Army, otherwise the IRA on July 7, 2010.

Giving evidence this afternoon before the non-jury court, Detective Garda Alan Slevin agreed with Mr Michael Bowman BL, prosecuting, that he had 13 years experience working in the garda fingerprint section.

He agreed that he was able to develop two fingerprint marks from a black plastic bag used to wrap a sawn-of 12 gauge Mossberg pump-action shotgun found by gardaí after a search of a one-bedroom flat on Bride Road in Dublin 8.

Det Gda Slevin agreed that he compared these marks with an impression of the left middle finger of Sean Farrell taken at Kevin Street Garda Station and was satisfied beyond doubt that the marks on the bag were made by the same finger.

He agreed with counsel for the defence, Mr Padraig Dwyer SC, that it was not possible to date when a fingerprint had been placed on a given item.

The court heard that during a search of the flat on Bride Road three firearms were found - a pump-action sawn-off shotgun, a semi-automatic pistol and an Uzi semi-automatic pistol. Gardaí also found 147 rounds of ammunition.

Detective Garda Seamus O’Connor told Mr Bowman that on 8:14pm on May 2, 2011 he observed Sean Farrell approach on his motorcycle and enter the one-bedroom flat on Bride Road.

He agreed that the accused man stayed in the flat for eight minutes before departing.

The court also heard evidence from Detective Garda Nicky Conneely, who told Mr Bowman that gardaí photographed two tattoos on Mr Farrell - one of a Celtic Cross and the words "Oglaigh na hEireann" and another of a red triangle showing a man holding a gun with the words "Sniper at work".

He agreed that the accused man repeatedly answered “no comment” to material questions put to him by detectives in a series of interviews conducted at Terenure Garda Station on July 8, 2011.

Det Garda Conneely agreed that Mr Farrell was informed by gardaí that a judge or jury could draw certain inferences from an accused person’s failure or refusal to answer material questions relating to their arrest and may regard evidence of this as corroborative of other evidence against the accused person.

The trial continues on Tuesday in front of presiding judge Mr Justice Paul Butler.