Man who pulled gun on sister-in-law and threatened to kill her partner during family argument is jailed

A man who pulled a gun on his sister-in-law and threatened to kill her partner during a family argument has been jailed for one year.

Robert Glynn (42) with an address in Knockmore Park, Tallaght, Dublin, pleaded guilty to one count of threatening to kill and one count of possessing a firearm at McWilliam Lane in Tallaght on March 10, last.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard Glynn had had a fight with his partner on the day in question and Suzanne Campbell - his sister-in-law – and her partner had intervened.

Garda Gary White told Sinead McMullen BL, prosecuting, that Glynn pulled up outside Ms Campbell's house and produced a gun. He told her her partner was going to “get this in the head” before he pointed the gun directly at her.

Ms Campbell pleaded with Glynn not to shoot before he drove away. She was scared for her sister's safety and immediately called gardaí, the court heard. At the time of the offence, Ms Campbell's partner was still over in her sister's house in the wake of the dispute.

Gardaí searched Glynn's home that night and found a black modified handgun under his mattress. He has 34 previous convictions, mainly for road traffic offences but also for criminal damage and larceny.

Michael O'Higgins SC, defending, told the court his client acted the way he did in a “moment of madness”. He said Glynn was immediately cooperative with gardaí and contrite about his behaviour. Mr O'Higgins said:

It was a family argument and it was something that got out of hand

The gun was found to have been modified so it was unusable, it was not loaded and Glynn told gardaí it was a “relic”, the court heard.

Glynn has been in custody since March this year. He has had a baby daughter born during this time and his father is suffering with cancer.

Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Glynn to three years imprisonment, but suspended the final two years on strict conditions and backdated the sentence to the date he first went into custody.